


Bedside Manor

by Gothic_Gay



Series: TFTGS fics [3]
Category: Tales from the Gas Station, tftgs
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:42:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28706859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothic_Gay/pseuds/Gothic_Gay
Summary: I've got a few questions to how my TFTGS ocs and Spencer would react to the Bedside Manor and I started thinking. Then ended up writing a fic about it lol. Anyways, here's the bedside manor story but with my gayass ocs and world building.
Relationships: Jack/Jerry (Tales From the Gas Station), Spencer/Male OC
Series: TFTGS fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620178
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> So basically my tftgs ocs became a fucked up found family for Spencer. You can read the background of them from my fic Hidden Demons. Or this short little thing:  
> -Cyril Narazi: Incubus who betrayed Hell and is now living in the mortal realms. He's Spencers loving boyfriend who encourages him to be an awful person. Love Wins!  
> -Silvia Boucher: Cyrils best friend, shes human but grew up with the supernatural in her life. Used to work with Benjamin to keep the supernatural world in check.  
> -Camilla Flavius: Succubus who has a hatred of men. She's the closest thing that Cyril has to a sister, eventually she also betrayed Hell to keep Azazel safe.  
> -Azazel: Son of Lilith and high prince of Hell. He was chosen by his parents to be killed to 'bring in a new age for Hell.' He ends up running away with Camilla, looking for Cyril who has lived among humans for many years. He's pretty powerful but he's only 15 and stupid.

“Try turning it again,” Spencer shouted. Silvia turned the car key only to have nothing happen. “Fuck!” He kicked the ground and started to pace for a bit. Cyril walked over and gently squeezed Spencers hand in an effort to keep him calm. “And you don’t see anything wrong?”

“Nope,” Azazel answered as he stood up from the engine. “Fixing objects and cars is like, my thing, but your car just won’t work. I’ve checked everything, dude! Maybe your car is just stupid.” He sighed as he glared at the engine then looked back at the others. “Whelp, I’m out of ideas. What should we do?”

Silvia stepped out of the drivers side and shrugged. “This wouldn’t have happened if you let me drive. I blame Spencer for all of this. Quick, everyone blame Spencer!”

“Fuck off!”

“I always blame Spencer,” Camilla grumbled as she put out her cigarette. Azazel pointed at Spencer and laughed. “Human technology is so… infuriating! Your cars don’t work, and now the cellular phones won’t work. Ugh, I don’t understand how you deal with technology that is so primitive. Just use crystals like the rest of the realms!”

Cyril nodded in agreement as he held onto Spencers arm. “Human technology is frustrating beyond belief, but we should figure out what we need to do next. We passed by a manor not too long ago, that’s the closest building for us right now. Why don’t we start there?”

Everyone sighed when they realized Cyril was right. The closest building to them was a good walk away in the middle of nowhere. Spencer and Silvia quickly took as many weapons as they could hide on themselves while Azazel grabbed his skateboard. Cyril fastened his sword to his hip as Camilla hopped off the roof of the car to join the others.

“Everyone has everything they need?” Spencer asked as he closed the trunk. “Because I’m not walking all the way there only to walk all the way back because someone forgot one thing. It’s about a mile away.” Everyone looked at him with slight confusion. “Do you guys not know what a mile is?”

Azazel did some quick math before saying, “1609 metres give or take.” Everyone else nodded in understanding while Spencer rolled his eyes.

“Isn’t that only like a twenty minute walk? You can’t walk twenty minutes here and back again?” Silvia teased as she started to walk away.

Spencer grumbled under his breath as Cyril softly laughed. “If you get tired of walking, I could always carry you,” Cyril said as he took the others hand. Spencer couldn’t help but crack a small smile at that. He then glanced over his shoulder at his car as they walked. “Don’t worry, your car will still be there when we get back. I’m sure we can get someone to fix it.”

Giving a soft sigh, Spencer squeezed Cyrils hand and nodded. He gave his car one last glance as they walked up the hill. The walk didn’t take them too long, despite the fact they had to keep Azazel focused a few times, it went faster than they originally thought it would. Soon enough they reached the start of a long driveway along a well-kept lawn.

Azazel stopped in his tracks and eyed the manor suspiciously. “Hey guys?” he called out to the others, who were a bit farther ahead. “There’s some weird energy about this place.”

“Weird as in bad and we should turn around and never come back?” Silvia asked. “Or weird as in we should check it out and have a bonding experience?”

“Weird as in weird,” he answered with a shrug. “I don’t know, dude. I’ve never felt energy like this so I’m not sure if it’s good or bad. Seems more neutral to me.”

Everyone looked at each other as they weighed their options. “Well?” Spencer asked. “If we just use their phone and leave we should be fine. Even if it turns out to be weird as in bad, we can easily deal with it.” Silvia nodded then turned to Cyril and Camilla. “What do you think, Babe?”

“We do need to call someone to help with the car,” Cyril mused. “I agree, let’s just use their phone then wait by the car. Plus, if things turn out to be dangerous we have weapons. And while Azazel shouldn’t use his powers outside of town, in an emergency he could conjure a portal. Whatever is in there we can deal with.”

“If needed we can kill everyone in the manor and claim it as our own,” Camilla stated with a small nod. “Stay close to me, Little Goat,” she said as Azazel started to walk on the lawn.

“Bonding experience it is then,” Silvia smirked as she started up the driveway. “Magic of friendship and whatever the fuck.”

They started back up the driveway, everyone slightly on edge as they weren’t sure what exactly they would find. Suddenly the sky grew dark and a clap of thunder rang out, causing Azazel to flinch. The wind picked up as an unexpected downpour started, everyone swore loudly as they ran up the rest of the driveway. Each of them were completely soaked in a matter of seconds.

When they got to the front porch, Spencer glared at the storm clouds as if they personally insulted him. “That’s fucked,” he grumbled before loudly knocking on the door.

“Guess we’re gonna have to hang out here a bit while it continues to piss rain on us,” Silvia sighed. “Or we can call someone and wait by the car as planned and listen to Cyril complain about his hair.”

“Fuck off.”

“The faster we’re out of the storm, the better,” Azazel huffed.

Camilla gave his shoulder a light squeeze before she pushed past Spencer and banged her fist on the door. A few seconds later the door creaked open to show a short old woman in Victorian clothing with huge glasses. Before the woman could speak, Camilla took a step forward. “Good day, we demand to use your telephone. Let us in.”

Silvia choked back a laugh as Spencer rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t expecting anymore company,” the woman croaked. “Are you sure you have the right address?” Cyril and Camilla exchanged a glance, dealing with elderly humans was a tasking job for them. “All guests have been accounted for.”

“Excuse me,” Spencer started. “Sorry about her, she has no manners.” Camilla narrowed her eyes at him in response. “But our car broke down and as you can see, we were caught in a storm. We’d just like to use your phone is all.” The woman looked them up and down, then glanced at the raging storm behind them.

“You certainly are… Unexpected. Follow me to the telephone. Local calls only, no long distance. This way,” she stated as she quickly turned around and walked off. Everyone glanced at each other before giving a small shrug then following the old woman.

As they walked inside, they looked around and took in the manor. Spencer let out a sharp whistle before saying, “Damn, this is a nice place.”

“I’ve seen better,” Cyril scoffed. “It’s hardly even a manor. Plus the garden could have used some work. The interior is just awful, if they changed the wallpaper and matched the curtains it would look so much better.” Spencer gave a soft laugh as he grabbed Cyrils hand to pull him along.

“Why don’t you write them a strongly worded letter?” Silvia suggested. “I’m sure they would want your ideas and opinions.” Cyril gave her a glance over his shoulder. “Besides, who really cares about this place? It was probably built by slaves.” Everyone mumbled in agreement.

As they walked, the old woman began telling them the history of the manor. The mention of the plantation and “Northern Aggression” made Silvia and Cyril cringe. The sounds of far away laughter caught their attention as they walked on. Telling them they were far from alone in this place.

She led them to the basement, still talking as she walked down the steps. Camilla started down the stairs only to suddenly stop and whip her head to the left. “What is it?” Cyril asked as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword. Both Spencer and Silvia started to reach for one of their concealed weapons. There was a heavy tension in the air.

“I thought I heard something,” she hissed. “It sounded like an insect.” Spencer groaned as he started back down the stairs. “I’m serious! I swear on the Horned One that I heard it.” Silvia laughed as she playfully nudged Camilla. Cyril sighed as he followed Spencer.

“This is an old place, it probably has bugs in the walls,” she teased. Camilla shuddered as she pushed past Silvia. “Watch out Cam! The bugs are gonna get you!” Silvia laughed loudly as Camilla swore at her. “What about you, Goatboy?” she asked as she turned to Azazel. “Did you hear any bugs?”

Azazel stood at the top of the stairs with a neutral expression. Camilla and Silvia frowned as they stood on the stairs. “Little Goat? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, you’re being quiet. You’re never quiet, what’s up?”

“I didn’t hear any bugs, but I heard the energy,” he stated. “Not sure what it was saying, but there’s a lot-”

“Down here, please!” the woman called out from the bottom of the stairs. Camilla and Silvia lingered a moment longer, giving Azazel one last look of concern before heading downstairs.

Spencer was on the phone while Cyril held an old phonebook, the look on their faces told the others that they weren’t happy. Azazel noticed the taxidermy polar bear right away and went straight for it while the others met back up. “Yeah… Alright, thanks. You too, bye,” Spencer said before hanging up. “Fucking Christ.”

“What is it?” Cyril asked as he put the book down and rested his hand on Spencers arm.

“He knows exactly where we are, but he can’t get out here until morning. And to top it all off he’s the only mechanic in this whole county. So we’re fucked for the night,” he grumbled. Camilla made a sound similar to a growl as she started to pace. “We can go back to the car but all of us cramming into it and sleeping in it for the night sounds stupid.”

“We will make a camp,” Camilla huffed. “There’s lots of wood to build a shelter and I can hunt for food. 

“With this weather?” Silvia asked. “We’d drown with all this rain. Plus I’m already soaking wet and it isn’t even in the fun way.”

The old woman seemed to appear right beside the group without a sound, catching them off guard. “If this is what must be, I will not begrudge any travelers the safety of shelter for one night. We have one spare guest bedroom left, and for the night I’m willing to let two of you stay in one of the family rooms. But there is one condition.”

There was a moment of silence before Cyril said, “Would you excuse us for a moment?” He started to walk to another corner of the room, motioning for the others to follow him. “Well? If it’s only for the night I think we should be fine here. Yes, it’s extremely weird but between sleeping in the car or camping, this seems like the best option.”

“True,” Silvia shrugged. “I think if something wanted us dead, something would have happened by now. But there’s definitely something weird about this place. To be honest, I’m more worried about Azazel. Ever since we stepped foot on the driveway he’s been acting off. He’s quiet, he’s never quiet.”

Everyone glanced over at Azazel, who was currently sitting on top of the polar bears head and idly kicking his feet. “Cyril's right, this seems to be the best option,” Spencer said with a sigh. “There is a lot going on here, too much for it all to be a coincidence. So we stay on guard. As far as I’m concerned with the kid, it’s nice that he’s being quiet for once.” Camilla and Cyril shot him a look. “I was kidding,” he backtracked.

“I don’t like it here,” Camilla growled. She glanced over at the old woman before turning to Cyril. “Qua na-vamme foeir. Ni’mm worr’ui nia Azazel. Mana if sina na- a nú i Inferno? Ben wor’is, Elysium?” Spencer and Silvia glanced at each other and shrugged.

“Ni’mm worr’ui too. Mal ni osán- tye worr’ui too limbe,” Cyril whispered back. “Besides, do you have a better idea for how we wait out the night? An idea that doesn’t include camping and hunting for our own food.” Camilla crossed her arms and glared at the floor. “Right.”

The old woman clearly was getting impatient with the group. She walked to the stairs before calling out, “Follow me this way. I will show you to your rooms.” Without waiting, she quickly started to leave. Everyone shared one last look before they went to follow her.

As she led them to the grand staircase the lights flickered as thunder boomed overhead. “Sounds like it’s getting worse out,” Spencer commented. “Good thing we aren’t outside camping and hunting for food.” Silvia snorted as she laughed along with him, jabbing him in the side with her elbow. Camilla gave a low growl as she walked behind Azazel.

As they walked up the stairs, following the woman as she guided them through the large manor, the feeling of something wrong began to set in again. They couldn’t place what it was, but they were on guard. The woman began to drone on about the history of the place again. No one really seemed to be paying attention to her at all.

Cyril glanced at some of the artwork as they walked through the hallway. He noted that a lot of it seemed out of place, but he couldn’t guess why. “You said there was ‘one condition’ to us spending the night here? What would that be?”

“As you have undoubtedly discovered by now, this is no ordinary Bed and Breakfast. A typical reservation is made a full year in advance. The experience of spending a night in Bedside Manor is quite valuable--in more ways than one. If you will be present, I expect you to behave as legitimate guests. That means engaging in all of the evening’s activities, exploring the various mysteries, and staying in character. Above all else--” She stopped and turned to them to address this part. “--You must not let any of the other participants know that you did not pay for a room. Is this understood?”

“Character?” Spencer echoed.

“What in the goddamn...?” Silvia whispered.

“.... Sure, I guess. Understood,” Cyril shrugged. He linked his arm with Spencers as she stopped in front of a door. “It’s only for one night, we can put up with... Whatever this is,” he said with a vague wave of his hand. Spencer scoffed in response.

The brass nameplate above the red door read ‘Raphael Gray (1840-1869)’ The woman looked at the group before speaking, “This is the Raphael Gray guest suite. Who is staying in this room? I do apologize, but the is only one bed-”

“Give me the key,” Camilla demanded as she stepped forward, one hand on Azazels shoulder. The woman held out the key, only to have it roughly grabbed from her hand. Silvia chuckled as she followed Camilla and Azazel into the room.

The woman blinked as the door was slammed shut then turned to Spencer and Cyril. “Your room isn’t far. That was the last guest room so you will be given the honour of staying in the Anthony Bedside suite. I’m sorry but there is only one bed.”

“That’s perfect,” Cyril smiled as he lightly squeezed Spencers arm. The woman looked like she wanted to say something, but she instead turned around. They silently walked down the hall to their room. She handed them the key, told them the time to be ready for and quietly left.

As she walked back the way to the grand staircase, Azazel opened the door and peeked his head out. “Hey, what’s your name?”

“My name is Margaret. Margaret Bedside. But you may call me ‘Maggie.’”

“I meant your _real_ name. But what ever.”

Cyril and Spencer took in the elegance of their room. The large king size bed with a canopy, sparking chandelier, bearskin rug and a small balcony to look over the garden. It was breathtaking. “Wow,” Spencer quietly said. Cyril nodded in agreement as he headed over to the wardrobe.

“Darling, come here. I believe this suit here would fit you perfectly.” Spencer walked over and looked at the suits. “You’d look amazing,” Cyril mused with a small smile as he touched the red and black suit. He grabbed the other suit, that was an earthy brown and green, and narrowed his eyes. “I’ll be right back. This isn’t quite my style. When I get back do you want to shower and get changed? I’m tired of being in these wet clothes and I’m starting to get cold.”

Spencer gave a light laugh at Cyrils complaints, “Yeah. That sounds good. Don’t be too long.” He gave Cyril a quick kiss before he started to get the shower ready.

Walking down the hallway, Cyril was met halfway by Silvia. She smirked as she held up a gown and he held up the suit. “Trade ya?” she laughed. They laughed as they traded the clothes. “Yeah, this suit is more for me. You’d kill it in the gown.” Cyril hummed in agreement as he started back to his room, looking over the red and gold gown with some fondness.

When he got back, Spencer had the shower ready and they stepped in. They enjoyed the warm water and each others company. There was a sense of peace and comfort between the two of them. They almost forgot that they were on edge earlier. After washing each others hair, they stepped out to dry off.

Spencer gave a sigh as he looked at the suit. “This is stupid,” he announced. Cyril barked a laugh and wrapped his arms around Spencers waist. “You know I’m right! If they don’t want the other ‘guests’ to know we aren’t supposed to be here then why don’t we just stay in our rooms? But no, we have to play pretend. I mean who would even pay for this shit?”

“This is stupid,” Cyril laughed and kissed Spencers neck. “But it’s better than being outside in that weather.” They glanced out the window and watched as the rain continued to come down in sheets. “Besides, your suit and my dress practically match. We’re going to look the best and make everyone feel terrible about themselves.”

“Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Yes, and I never get tired of hearing it.”

After laughing a bit more and a passionate kiss, and a few more kisses, they got dressed. Cyril tied Spencers tie and straightened out his suit, sneaking him soft kisses as he did. Spencer closed the back of Cyrils dress, giving him a kiss on the back of his neck, then braided his hair.

They looked at themselves in the mirror and laced their fingers together. “Damn, we look pretty sexy,” Spencer smirked. Cyril laughed and kissed his cheek. “And you look… You look beautiful.” Lightly cupping Cyrils face, Spencer pulled him into a soft kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too my dear,” Cyril smiled. The clock in their room chimed for six o’clock and the sound of soft jazz music came muffled through their door. “Well, time to play pretend. Wait! Can I ask for one more thing?” Cyril asked as sweetly as possible. Spencer took a deep breath and turned to him as he raised an eyebrow. “Please put the top hat on,” he grinned as he held it out.

“No. I’m already wearing the suit, that’s all of this stupid dress up game that I’m doing.”

“Pleaaase? Just for a minute!” Spencer rolled his eyes as he started to walk across the room. “Will you do it for me? Pretty please? It’d make me so happy. Darling, please,” Cyril begged as he tried to hold back his laughter. He followed Spencer and clung to his arm, looking at him with a pleading expression. “Don’t you want to make me happy? If you love me, you’d put it on.”

Spencer narrowed his eyes then let out a defeated sigh, “Fine. But only for a few seconds.” Cyril let out a small cheer as he handed over the top hat. “Never say I never did anything for you,” he grumbled as he put it on. Spencer gave a shrug as he turned to Cyril. “Well?”

Cyril choked back a laugh and covered his mouth. “You look… You look so stupid. Thank you so much,” he laughed. Spencer rolled his eyes again as he tossed the hat off to the side. “That made my night. Thank you, dear.” Cyril grabbed Spencers hand and pulled him into a soft embrace. “Alright, let’s go.”

They walked out into the hall as the others met up with them. Camilla was wearing a pink ball gown while Azazel wore a black and white suit, he had taken the time to rip the sleeves off. Much to Cyrils annoyance, Azazels bowtie was undone. Silvia tipped an imaginary hat as she stopped before them. “Shall we? How do you think this is gonna go? I’m placing bets that Camilla punches someone tonight.”

“I’d pay to see that,” Spencer laughed.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Camilla grumbled. “Remember to stay close to me, alright?” Azazel nodded, still being unusually quiet. Everyone exchanged a quick look at the kid. With nothing more to say, they started down the staircase.


	2. Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning for one f slur

The group made their way down the grand staircase and into the grand hall. They noticed an old man sitting by the fireplace, but he didn’t seem to give them any attention. Cyril held onto Spencers arm as they walked towards the pocket doors. Judging by the sound of voices and where the music was coming from, it was the parlor that they had to gather in.

The contrast between the grand hall and the parlor was jarring. Camilla curled her upper lip in disgust as she looked at the paintings of cherubs on the ceiling. “This looks… Wrong,” she hissed to the others. Cyril hummed in agreement as he scanned the room.

“What do you mean?” Spencer whispered back.

“It just… It just doesn’t look right. This is not what parlors would look like, yet it's in similar fashion. It’s off just enough to feel and look wrong,” Camilla tried to explain. “I do like the pink colours, but the rest? It’s shameful.”

“I’m guessing this was a womens parlor. I can’t say I’m too surprised at how horrid it looks given the rest of the manor. But it really doesn’t feel right,” Cyril said with uncertainty. He looked at the decaying flowers with distaste. “Whoever decorated this place was either trying to copy a Victorian era interior with a vague sense of it, or is just awful at design. Or both. Either way it’s shitty design.” Spencer gave a soft laugh at Cyrils judgements as they walked further into the parlor.

The other guests seemed to be out of place as well. An older woman looked Spencer and Cyril up and down, shook her head disapprovingly, then turned her attention to the young teen with her. A couple were off to the side taking pictures with a statue, seemingly unaware of anyone else in the room. Two women stood off to the side together, it was clear that they were siblings or at least related in some way.

One of the women, the shorter one, glanced over at them. It was slight, but Spencer noticed the look of fear in her eyes when she saw them. The other glanced at them and narrowed her eyes, as if to challenge them. He looked at Cyril and said, “This is going to be a long night.”

“While this place is sketchy as fuck, sticking together for the rest of the night is going to suck,” Silvia annouced. “I noticed a bar over at the other side of the room, I’m gonna see if there’s any good snacks. Please don’t start any fights without me.” With that, Silvia turned around to walk away, only to stop short of walking into Maggie. “Fucking Christ lady.”

“Good evening everyone,” she started giving no reaction to Silvias comment. “I trust you are paying close attention. The social hour is the most important part of the evening’s experience. This is your best chance for first impressions. Clues essential to solving the mystery of Bedside Manor may only appear once. You would both be wise to cooperate with your fellow investigators. Furthermore, I have it on good authority that not everyone here tonight is exactly who they claim to be.” She gave an unsettling smile as she added, “Besides yourselves, of course.”

Without waiting for an answer, Maggie quietly walked off. Silvia turned back to everyone and mouthed, “What the fuck?”

Camilla put her hand on Azazels shoulder and noticed how tense he was. “Mín indóme n- foraime,” she whispered to Cyril then promptly led Azazel out of the room. Silvia and Spencer watched them leave before giving Cyril a questioning look.

“She said they’ll be right back. Didn’t explain why though.”

“I think she’s starting to lose it again,” Spencer remarked. Cyril frowned as he looked towards the grand hall. “Let’s just keep an eye on them for a bit,” he said, trying to comfort Cyril. “If she gets any worse then we can knock her out and lock her in her room.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Silvia joked. “Anyways, I’m getting snacks. If Cam starts to go crazy, yell for me or something.” She made her way across the room, leaving the others by themselves. Silvia stopped in her tracks when she saw the two standing at the bar, and blinked in disbelief. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

Jack and Jerry turned to her with questioning looks. Jerry broke into a huge grin when he recognized her. They both knew her quite well. Silvia was a gas station regular, and one of the good ones at that. She would come by to stock up on junk food and chat. Shortly after Benji was hired, she stopped coming around. Jack listened to countless theories from Jerry to why she suddenly stopped showing up.

“Hey! We are secretly undercover and investigating this manor,” Jerry grinned and gave an over dramatic wave. Jack gave him a light slap to the shoulder and furrowed his eyebrows. “Actually, we’re on vacay, but Jack is being a Nervous Nelly. You know how he is.”

“You guys went to a dumb Bed & Breakfast for vacation?”

“No,” Jack said a bit too quickly. “Our car suddenly broke down and we came here to make a phone call. Before we could go back to the car the storm started.” Silvia raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips together. Jack didn’t admit it, but it was nice to see someone he recognized. A question started to nag at him when he turned to her. “What are you doing here?”

She gave a sigh as she looked over the snack options and any non-alcoholic drinks. “We were on our way to a… Family reunion. Cyrils family gets together every so often and it’s a really big event. We were only a few hours from the hotel before the car suddenly broke down.” The hair on the back of Jacks neck stood up and he shot a look at Jerry. “I gotta say, it’s nice to see you guys. It’s been a little while.”

Jack nodded as Jerry sipped his drink. “I have been wondering why you haven’t stopped in lately. But it’s nice to see you too. Is it just you and Cyril?” Jack asked as he started to look across the room. Cyril was easy to spot, he was tall, beautiful and stuck out in a crowd. The man Cyril was with made Jacks blood run cold.

“Man, I haven’t seen Cyril in forever,” Jerry mused. “Is he free tonight? Hey Jack, would you be down for a threesome with him? Jack? What’s wrong?” Jerry followed Jacks gaze and proceeded to choke on his drink. Spencer noticed he was being stared at and looked over, making eye contact with Jack. The three of them all made a face of pure confusion and disbelief as they stared at each other from across the room.

Silvia poured herself some juice in a fancy wine glass and took a sip. “I see you guys noticed Chucklefuck.”

Camillas heels clacked against the floor as she led Azazel to the bottom of the staircase. She stopped and knelt down in front of him and gently laid her hands on his shoulders. “What is wrong? Is it the storm? Is it this place?” she asked and gave a slight squeeze. Azazel gave a quick glance around before taking off his sunglasses. “Little Goat, I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“It’s… Everything, I guess,” he shrugged. “I hate thunder so I’m glad to be out of the storm, but this place is so loud.” Camilla tilted her head to the side with a look of concern. “There’s just so much energy here and it’s so loud! I’m getting a headache. I can’t make out what this energy is or if it's good or bad. It’s just  _ loud _ .”

“Do you want to go back to the room? I know the lady said we had to go to this gathering and the dinner but if you aren’t feeling well, you don’t have to. If she has any problems with that I can easily maul her, she's feeble and weak.”

“You always told me to respect elderly women since they offer old wisdom,” Azazel reminded with a slight smile. “I don’t want to leave the others. Plus I don’t think Maggie is human, or the dude by the fireplace.” He glanced over at the old man as Camilla looked over her shoulder. “But they don’t seem to be threats.”

With a nod, Camilla gave Azazel a quick hug and a kiss on the forehead. “Let me know if anything changes. If you feel the energy is hostile or even if you want to go back to the room. Alright?” Azazel nodded as he hugged her back. He put his sunglasses back on and they made their way back into the parlor.

The two of them met back up with Spencer and Cyril. “Na- ilqua okamie?” Cyril asked. Camilla nodded as Azazel tried to give a reassuring smile.

A man caught their attention as he walked up to the group. “Hello gentlemen, and good evening Miss,” he greeted, blushing softly as he glanced at Camilla. He stuck his hand out to shake Spencers hand, who didn’t return the favour. “Tobais Kincaid.”

“Begone from me,” Camilla snarled before she pushed past him and briskly walked over to Silvia. Tobias blinked a few times as Spencer desperately tried to hold back a laugh.

“Don’t mind her, she’s just having a bad day,” Cyril said, trying to cover for her. “I’m Cyril and this is my boyfriend, Spencer.” Tobias gave an awkward smile and a polite nod. Spencer gave a smug smile as he squeezed Cyrils hand.

“I haven’t actually done anything else like this,” Tobias laughed. “Not sure if there’s any etiquette that I should be aware of.” As he spoke, a young woman came up next to him and softly placed her hand on his arm. “Gentlemen, this is my wife Bridget. Bridget, this is Cyril and his… Partner Spencer.” Tobias and Bridget gave them an awkward yet supportive smile.

Bridget looked at Cyrils gown and gasped, “That’s a lovely dress! You look absolutely stunning.”

“I know,” Cyril said with a smirk. The married couple laughed together before politely excusing themselves and heading to the bar. “Well, they were… Nice. At least they didn’t call us faggots and tell us that we’re going to Hell.” Spencer laughed and slid his arm around Cyrils waist. “And speaking of that bar, I would love to see what wine options are here.”

Spencer glanced over at the bar to where the married couple was talking to Jack and Jerry. “I can’t fucking believe that of all places, those idiots would be here. Remember when I asked who would pay for this shit? I should have known they would.” Cyril gave a soft chuckle and kissed Spencers cheek, catching the glare of the single mother in the corner of his eye before she started to walk away.

Silvia poured Camilla another glass of wine. She noticed the way Jack and Jerry tensed up when Camilla walked over, but didn’t say anything. It seemed that they recognized her while she didn’t even glance at them. Silvia excused herself from the bar and herded Camilla away from the others.

“Do you know them? They seemed to recognize you,” Silvia asked. Camilla shook her head before downing her wine in one swing. “Alright, what’s up? You’ve been super pissy since we got here. Yeah this place sucks but at least we got free drinks.”

“I’m worried about Azazel. He said the energy here is loud, but I don’t know what that means or how I can help him.” Silvia gave Camilla a soft pat on the back. “And I swear I heard an insect earlier! If I have to deal with any insects, Mother help us.”

As they talked, the older woman walked up to them. “Hi there!” she started and cut into their conversation. “My name is Hope. I think you brought someone else's bags to my room. My son and I went for a walk earlier and when we came back there were some bags in our room. I saw the name “Jack Townsend” on some prescription bottles. Maybe you should bring his bags to the right room.”

“Who are you talking to?” Silvia asked. Hope blinked a few times and looked over to where her son was sitting.

“Don’t you work here? Maggie said that the help- oh! Sorry, I don’t think I can say that term anymore,” she laughed nervously. “That the workers stay on the grounds.” Silvia slowly blinked and took a deep breath.

“Lady, I don’t work here. I’m a guest,” she said. Hopes face flushed with embarrassment and covered her mouth. “You’re gonna have to give that bag over yourself.”

Hope started to stammer an apology and quickly turned her attention to Camilla. “I was wondering if I could ask you something. See, I’m here with my son, Wolfgang. I noticed you had a boy with you around the same age. Wolfgang is having a hard time making friends at home, so I thought a trip would be good for him. And coming here to find a boy his age is perfect! Maybe Wolfgang and your son-”

“Brother.”

“Y-Your brother. Maybe they could meet up and play?” Hope took a sip of her drink and nervously looked over at her son again. Camilla stared down at her and raised an eyebrow, making Hope even more nervous.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Camilla shrugged. “If Azazel would want to meet your child, that is up to him. But I will be keeping a close eye on them.” She turned to Azazel, only to find he wasn’t there. Looking over at Cyril, she saw Azazel wasn’t with him. “Where in the Hell has he gone too,” she grumbled and walked away.

Azazel wandered into the grand hall, he noticed that the old man sitting by the fireplace was currently talking to a man. He knew the man from the gas station in town, and that was the same man who banned him after he stole food and kept letting the raccoons in. Giving a soft sigh, he started to go down a hallway while he waited for his turn to talk to the old man.

The hallway seemed to go on forever and the wallpaper just made his headache worse. Azazel rubbed his temples as he turned and faced a young woman. They silently stared at each other for a few moments. Azazel noted that this woman had an energy he’s never felt before, but it was almost soothing.

“Hey,” he started. “What’s up?”

“You’re not human,” she whispered. Azazel blinked from behind his sunglasses before slowly nodding. “This place isn’t good for anyone. It’s going to bring out the worst in a lot of people,” she warned.

“Do you know what all this energy is?” he asked, taking a step forward. “If I can get some understanding on it, I could do something about it.” She just stared at him then slowly took a step back. “How did you know I wasn’t human?”

“Be careful, they’re watching,” she whispered softly. Azazel frowned and gave the hallway a once over. “Azazel, be careful of Camilla.”

Before he could ask anymore questions, another woman rounded the corner and stopped. “Claire! There you are. What did I tell you about wandering away? Let’s go back to the main room, alright?” Azazel quietly watched as the older woman guided Claire away. She cast a suspicious look over her shoulder at him as they left.

Azazel huffed as he walked back to the grand hall. He noticed that the old man was sitting alone again and walked over. Sitting down, he carefully eyed the other.

“Another one who isn’t good with talking to strangers?” the man asked and tapped his fingers idly on his cane.

“I love talking to people, it’s just been a weird day. I came to ask you a few questions,” Azazel declared. The man arched an eyebrow, showing some sense of surprise. “First, what is your name?”

“Nathaniel Pennyworth Cholmondeley the Third, at your service.” Azazel leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. “If you’re asking me questions, then I shall do the same. Tell me, what is a young boy like you talking to an old man like me?”

After carefully thinking over his answer, Azazel answered, “Gaining wisdom, I guess. My sister told me that we must respect elderly women because they have experience and wisdom. But she also says that old men offer nothing and horde their knowledge. I think that you might be able to offer me some wisdom.” Nathaniel gave something similar to a smile. “When I asked for your name, I meant your  _ real _ name. But what ever.

“I know you aren’t human, but you don’t seem to be hostile, so I will grant you the same respect. What are you doing here? What kind of being are you? What is all this energy here?”

Nathaniel gave a hearty laugh as Azazel pressed him for answers. “For a young boy you certainly speak with authority.”

“Thanks, I learned it from my mom.”

“But these are the mysteries of the Bedside manor. What is the fun if I tell you the answers? You may be unexpected guests, but you have to play the game just like everyone else. I can give you clues throughout the game, but that is all I can do in the future. I can simply guide you, is all.”

“AZAZEL!”

The two of them looked over in the direction of the staircase. Camilla quickly walked down the staircase and up to them, she eyed Nathaniel with an intensity that Azazel has only seen a few times. “Hey Cam-Cam.”

“Do you know how worried I was? I asked you earlier to stay close to me, but I then find you’re missing. Come on, you’re staying close to me or Cyril for the rest of the night.” Azazel frowned as he stood up and followed her back into the parlor. “Unbelievable,” she hissed as they made their way over to where the others were.

“That girl knows I’m not human,” he said. Camilla stopped in her tracks and whirled around to face him. “The one with the blue eyes and dark hair. She has a special energy and she also knew our names. Her name is Claire, and she probably knows you and Cy aren’t human too.”

Camilla looked over to the girl Azazel was talking about. She was staring at them but quickly looked away when they made eye contact. The other woman looked at Camilla and narrowed her eyes. They silently glared at each other before Camilla brought Azazel over to Cyril.

He noticed the look in her eye and sighed, “What’s wrong?”

“What isn’t wrong with her?” Spencer remarked. Cyril gave him a look before turning back to Camilla.

“There’s- Azazel, why don’t you go talk to that boy over there. His mother said he was wanting to talk to you.” Azazel grumbled to himself as he walked off. Cyril gave her a confused look. “There’s a problem. That girl over there next to the woman with the tattoo-”

“I’ve noticed her looking at us every so often,” Spencer mumbled.

“Do not interrupt me! She knows Azazel isn’t human,” Camilla hissed. Cyril tensed up and looked over at the girl, only to catch her quickly looking away. “She apparently knew his name as well. She likely is aware that we aren’t human. I think she’s a human, which would mean she’s a physic.”

Cyril cursed under his breath and grabbed Spencers hand. Spencer laced their fingers together to try and comfort him. As they whispered in hushed demonic, Silvia joined back up with them.

“Hey, what’s going on? I’m sensing some serious bad vibes over here.”

“Apparently some girl knows they aren’t human and Camilla thinks she’s a physic. That’s all I got before they stopped talking in English. What’s up with you?” Spencer asked.

Silvia took a sharp inhale and rocked on her feet. “Oh boy, that’s pretty bad. I’m sure you guys are gonna be overjoyed with what I’m about to tell you.” Everyone looked at her, waiting for her to continue. “The gas station duo said their car suddenly broke down too, they came here right before it started storming. Jack is sure that there’s something else going on, while Jerry thinks it’s some sort of sex cult.”

Everyone went silent for a good bit before Camilla said, “I was right. You all should have listened to me. I was right and I told you all that we should have made a camp and hunted for our food, but no. Now we are here, talking to idiots, with a physic, in some sex cult manor. Let it be known that I was right.”

Looking over his shoulder, Azazel quirked an eyebrow when he saw the others looking quite serious as they whispered to each other. He walked up to the other kid sitting off to the side of the room and gave a small wave.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Did my mom put you up to this?” the kid asked. Azazel shrugged then put his hands in his pockets. The other kid glanced across the room to see his mom giving him a thumbs up. “What do you want?”

“Damn dude, calm down. I don’t even know who your mom is. You’re the only person here around my age, the others are like 4000 years old.” Azazel sat down and idly kicked his legs. “This place is stupid.”

The kid let out a soft laugh before agreeing, “Yeah it is. It’s almost 7 o’clock, then in the morning I can go home and practice. I’m Wolfgang by the way.”

“Cool, I’m Azazel.”

“What kind of name is ‘Azazel’?”

“What kind of name is ‘Wolfgang’?” Azazel shot back. Wolfgang frowned for a split second before looking away. “I can’t wait for supper, I’m so fucking hungry.”

Wolfgang looked Azazel up and down then smirked. “Maybe you’ve had enough to eat, save some for the rest of us.” Azazel blinked and glared at him. “Hey, you’re clearly not blind- unlike the old guy- Why are you wearing sunglasses inside?”

“I… Yeah,” Azazel sighed before standing up and walking away. Wolfgang narrowed his eyes as he watched him meet back up with the others. Azazel crossed his arms as he stood next to Cyril. “That guy sucks.”

“Who?”

“Wolfgang.”

“What kind of name is that?” Spencer asked with a sharp laugh. “You guys are around the same age so no one can get too mad at you if you punch him.” Azazel nodded slowly as he thought over what Spencer said. “Alright, what’s the plan for getting out of here? Something isn’t right and I don’t think they would just let us walk out the front door.”

Everyone thought for a second. Camilla angrily tapped her foot as she tried to come up with something. “What if,” Silvia spoke, catching everyone's attention. “What if we just leave? I mean we could absolutely walk out the front door, we’re armed and are we really gonna let these people stop us?”

“Good point. Let’s get our stuff and leave then,” Spencer shrugged. They started for the grand hall, only to have Maggie walk in with Jack and Jerry. “Oh, fuck no.”

“It’s seven o’clock. Dinner is ready and your presence is required at the table. Follow me.”

Silvia made eye contact with Jerry, then with Jack and let out a soft sigh. “You guys can head out if you want, but if something really is going on I’m not gonna leave them behind.” Cyril gave her a look that was equally annoyed yet worried. “I’m too stubborn for you guys to stop me, you know this.” She then gave them a quick thumbs up before she met up with the others.

Giving an angry hum, Cyril started to follow her. Spencer walked with him, doing his best to avoid eye contact with Jack. Camilla stood still, watching as they walked off, she glanced to the grand hall and back at Cyril. When Azazel silently started to follow them, she gave a frustrated sound as she clenched her fists and followed as well.

The group followed Maggie as she led them to the dining room. Jerry leaned over to Silvia and made a soft sound to get her attention. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, why haven’t you stopped into the gas station? We miss you, you were one of the cool customers.”

“Honestly? Thanks bro. But, uh, yeah. Long story short, it’s seeing Benjamin there. I just… I just can’t see him right now,” she whispered back. Jack and Jerry gave each other a quick look as Cyril reached out and gave Silvia a soft touch on her arm.

“I get it,” Jerry nodded. “You guys must have been super close or something. Another question because I’ve been wondering this for a while.” Silvia gave a small nod for him to continue. “Is Benjamin circumcised?”

Spencer choked back a laugh as Jack gave Jerry a slight slap on the arm. Silvia let out a soft laugh as Azazel let out a disappointed hum.

“Fuck man, I don’t know. We were close but not like that. I’m too gay for him anyways, but Cyril would know the answer to that question.” Jerry quickly looked at Cyril and gave a slight gesture as if to say ‘well?’

“I know the answer, but what makes you think I’m going to tell you?” Cyril smirked. Jerry gave a fake pout as Jack sighed, feeling like that alone was too much information.

As they walked into the dining room, the room fell silent. It was quite clear that it was a hostile silence. Spencer noted that it was all directed towards Jack and couldn’t help but smile as he sat down next to the married couple. He made eye contact with Jack and smirked. “This is gonna be fun.”


	3. Part three

“Before we begin,” Jerry announced as he stood up, effectively capturing everyone’s attention. “I believe it would be a good idea to say a few words of grace to our lord and savoir.”

“I beg your pardon?” said Maggie.

“My pardon I grant thee,” he quickly replied with a wave of his hand. Silvia bit her lip to hold back a laugh. Everyone glanced at each other with a look of confusion and some parts annoyance. “And now, if you would all be so kind as to close your eyes and bow your heads, I will deliver the most amazing prayer of thanks this side of the BC/AD conversion.” Camilla made a face of disgust. After a few awkward seconds of complete silence, Jerry repeated what he said with more force.

Spencer quickly clued in on the fact that Jerry had an idea. It wasn’t a good idea, but it was all they had at the moment. Reluctantly, he bowed his head. Cyril arched an eyebrow and looked at him with confusion. Spencer winked at Cyril and after a few seconds, he bowed his head as well. Before Camilla could make a comment, Silvia gave her a jab in the ribs and motioned her to follow the others.

“Dearest lord: Hi! It’s me, Jerry. We met at Vassar College that one time I did too many psychedelics and you told me birds weren’t real… Anyway, I know it’s been a while since we last spoke... Sorry about that.”

Jack quietly pushed his chair back and stood up. He quietly tiptoed past Loren, took the note from Claire and began to quietly tiptoe past Camilla. Everyone had their eyes closed and heads down, all but one. Azazel quietly watched Jack and gave him a thumbs up. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he took the fact the kid wasn’t saying anything to catch anyone's attention as a good sign.

“Anyway, in conclusion, thanks again for wiping out so many of the other apex predators before we got here…”

A loud crack of thunder rang out over the manor, causing the windows to shake and the lights to go out. Azazel grabbed Camillas hand, she gave a small squeeze to keep him calm. There was the sound of a few gasps, a nervous laugh and someone pushing their chair back. 

“Can someone tell me what just happened?” Nathaniel called out. “That sounded like thunder.”

Jerry responded, “Lights went out.”

Nathaniel raised his voice into a command. “Everyone stay calm! Stay put! I’m sure our host has some candles or a torch.”

After another moment of silence, an ear piercing scream of pain rang out from the grand hall. Camilla tensed up, ready for a fight, as Cyril reached out and rested one hand on Azazels shoulder and the other on Spencers knee. Jerry gave a soft chuckle and an over dramatic, “Dun dun dunnn!”

Loren turned her phone flashlight on and shined it towards Jack. Everyone looked in the direction of the new spotlight. “Where are you going?” she loudly asked. Jack shielded his eyes from the bright light as he tried to quickly think up a lie. Spencer smirked to himself as he watched from his seat.

“I-I wanted to go investigate that scream.”

“Oh? Were you moonwalking there?” Loren pressed. It was clear that she suspected him. “Looks like you’re facing the wrong direction to be going towards the scream.” Spencer pinched his arm to keep himself from laughing.

“Yeah, Jack. Why are you acting so suspiciously?!” Jerry chimed in and put his hands on his hips.

“You have to admit that’s suspicious,” Spencer added. “I bet he’s behind this.” Cyril rolled his eyes as Spencer took the chance to cast blame.

Jack frowned as he said, “No one asked you. It’s dark, I must have gotten turned around.”

Suddenly the lights flickered back on. Tobias and Bridget clapped with Jerry quickly joining in. Silvia and Cyril exchanged a tired look. Camilla abruptly stood up and crossed her arms. “Are we finally done with this?” she demanded as she guarded Azazel.

“I’m guessing the lights are back,” Nathaniel stated.

Jerry turned to him and asked, “And how do you know that?”

“From you guys clapping,” Silvia shouted out.

“Oh! Is that why we were clapping? I was wondering about that.”

Loren cleared her throat and gently pulled Claire closer to her. “Well, what do we do now?”

It went quiet as people tried to think. “Hey guys,” Hope started in a soft voice. “Where did Ms. Maggie go?” Everyone looked around only to find that Maggie had gone missing.

“We’ll go check it out,” Jerry suddenly announced as he walked away from the table. “Right, Jack?” Jack nodded, looking for any reason to leave, as he turned towards the exit.

“Why don’t we all go?” Loren cut in. “After all there’s safety in numbers. Right, Jack?”

“Sorry, Jack. Butterfly girl has a point,” Silvia sighed. “Why don’t we all… Get out of here?” she said carefully, and shot Cyril a look. Cyril nodded as he pushed his chair back and stood on the other side of Azazel. Spencer took Cyrils hand and carefully scanned the other guests in the room.

“Yeah!” Tobias agreed. “Let’s all go and see what all the commotion was about. Then maybe we can finally eat. I’m starving!”

In only a few moments, everyone was up from the table and walking in a group towards the great hall. Maggie was lying face down on the floor with a large chef's knife in her back. Cyril darted his tongue between his lips then narrowed his eyes at Maggie.

Jerry suddenly slapped his hands against his cheeks and wailed, “Oh nooooo! Not Maggie!” He dramatically draped himself onto Jack and pretended to sob into his shoulder, catching almost everyone off guard.

“Did something happen?” Nathaniel asked as he made his way into the room. Loren, Bridget, and Tobias all began casting blame on Jack for the murder mystery. “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” he interrupted. “Surely, if a murder occurred, there will be clues here to prove the killer’s guilt. We all just need to take a moment and investigate our surroundings.”

Everyone split off into their own little groups as they began to look for any clues. Cyril guided Spencer by the hand off to the far end of the room, quietly urging the others to do the same. “This has gone from strange to out right worrying,” he whispered.

“What do you mean?” Silvia asked. Hope glanced over at the group and raised an eyebrow at them. “We’re just brainstorming!” she shouted out. “...Fuckin’ cunt can’t mind her business.”

“The old lady is dead.”

“Shit. Really?” Spencer asked in a hushed voice. The group looked over at the body, watching as Jack and Jerry whispered to each other over Maggie. “How do you know?”

“Her blood. I can taste it,” Cyril explained. Spencer blinked a few times and gave him a look. “I can taste some things in the air, certain scents and even emotions. You know, like a snake. Anyways,” Cyril huffed with a wave of his hands. “She’s bleeding and the fact she's not asking for help shows she’s dead. I think they noticed that too.”

“Okay snake-boy,” Silvia smirked. “But just one stab from a knife killed her? I’ve lived through more than that!”

Azazel looked around the room and at the others before he spoke up. “Hey guys, what are we doing here?” Everyone stopped and looked at him. “Like, what ARE we doing here? In this place, why are we even here?”

“What are you talking about? Spencers stupid car broke down,” Silvia said. “Dude, you even took a look at it and couldn’t do anything so we came here to call someone only to get roped into whatever the fuck this is.”

“No? What are  _ you _ talking about? The car is fine! We should be on our way to the demon gathering.”

“... Azazel,” Camilla started carefully. “Are you alright? The vehicle stopped working, we both know how frustrating human technology can be. Don’t you remember?” Azazel frowned and crossed his arms but didn’t say anything further.

Spencer rolled his eyes before saying, “Anyways. She was stabbed in the back, whoever did it probably hit the  abdominal aorta. If you bust that open on someone you only have a matter of seconds before they die. Whoever killed her most likely knew what they were doing.” Cyril nodded in agreement.

“Plus she’s weak and feeble,” Camilla added. “I bet she didn’t have too much longer to live so perhaps she was put out of her misery.”

“Remember!” Hope called out. “If you find any clues! You need to share with the group!” Bridget called back and waved the others over to the paintings. Camilla glanced over with a look of disdain as she put her hands on Azazels shoulders to keep him close.

“No one else knows Marge is dead,” Silvia pointed out. Azazel quickly corrected her on the name before she continued. “Yeah, Maggie, whatever. No one else knows the old lady is dead other than the gas station duo and us. I bet the blind guy is in on this! It’s always the rich old dudes.”

Cyril hummed softly as he watched Jerry and Jack whisper. “For the strike that killed her, the person knew what they were doing. It was one hit and expertly done, or beginners luck. I’ve had enough of whatever this is, I’m ready to get our stuff and leave.”

“Yeah, this is fucked and I’m not getting paid to deal with this shit,” Spencer grumbled. “Let’s just go. If anyone tries to stop us, we take them out.”

With everyone in agreement they started to head for the staircase while everyone was looking at the paintings. Until Jerry stood up and cleared his throat. “Jack and I just found a clue,” he announced. “It says- no you guys don’t need to come over here, just stay there- It says that we all need to go to our rooms and wait for further instructions.” Spencer cursed under his breath.

Tobias stepped forward, asking about the clue, which Jerry casually dismissed. They watched as Loren and Tobias continued to press him with questions. The tension in the air was rising and it was only a matter of time before it turned into chaos.

Nathaniel spoke from his spot in the room, where he remained unmoving. “I feel as if we haven’t yet found all the clues necessary to solving the mystery of Bedside Manor.” Silvia jabbed Cyril in the side and subtly pointed at Nathaniel while giving a ‘I-told-you-so’ look.

Giving a soft sigh, Jack stood up to try and help Jerry. Spencer smirked when he watched Jack almost fall over. “Look everyone. I know-” he started to say as he took a step forward and slipped. Spencer grabbed onto Cyrils arm as he watched Jack slip and fall backwards, only to land on the dead body. He made an inhuman sound, almost like a soft wheeze, as he tried not to laugh out loud.

Everyone shouted at once as they rushed over to check on Maggie. Jerry pulled Jack to his feet as he tried to calm everyone down.

“This is the perfect chance for us to go,” Cyril whispered, gently tugging on Spencers hand.

“Hang on, I wanna see Jack try to explain this. It’s gonna be fun,” Spencer whispered back.

There was a loud gasp as Bridget covered her mouth and backed away from the body. Loren grabbed Claires hand and backed up as well. The situation was quickly getting out of hand as people began to realize that Maggie was murdered.

“...How much does a polar bear weigh?!”

“She’s dead! She’s really, actually, dead!”

“Whaaat?” Jerry said casually. He tried to calm everyone down with a quick lie, only to admit defeat and try to explain what happened. Hope let out a scream and all control was lost. People began to argue with each other, shouting over one another to be heard. Jack ended up being pushed down again and crawled backwards away from the crowd. Camilla protectively ushered Azazel behind her as the shouting grew louder.

“I told you this was gonna be fun,” Spencer said as he watched Loren and Tobias point at Jack. Cyril couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

A sharp whistle rang out capturing everyone's attention and causing a few to wince. The shouting turned to soft murmurs as Nathaniel took charge. “Everybody, please calm down! It seems that things have gotten quite out of hand. Before we bite out each other’s throats, I’d appreciate some level-headed fact finding. Bridget, are we sure Maggie is…?”

Bridget confirmed that Maggie was dead and Hope instantly began to blame Jack again. “Clearly, he forgot to take his meds!” she stated. Jerry tensed up as he moved to stand in front of Jack.

“Whoa!” Jack yelled.

“Lady, what is your fucking problem?!” Silvia shouted out as she moved forward.

“Alright, let’s stay cool,” Tobias said and put his hands up. “Maybe it was Jack.” Spencer nodded. “Maybe it wasn’t. Either way, we need to call 911.” Loren checked her phone, then Bridget, Hope and Tobias. Jack mentioned the landline in the basement, Tobias nodded quietly as he thought it over. “We’ll go check it out. But first, we need to stick together.”

“We’ll go tell the workers,” Loren said and quickly pulled Claire along before anyone could say anything.

“Why haven’t the mortal realms figured out the use of crystals?” Camilla whispered in annoyance. “We wouldn’t need ‘service’ and it would make everything so much easier.”

Cyril hummed in agreement before adding, “this realm is far behind in technology. It’s really frustrating. What’s more frustrating is that our chance to leave without any notice is gone.”

“We can still leave,” Spencer whispered. Bridget noticed the group whispering amongst themselves and narrowed her eyes. “We’ll probably have to fight our way past these guys, but that won’t be an issue.”

They continued to whisper, trying to find the best way to leave, when Tobias suddenly retrieved a handgun hidden on his ankle. Spencer rolled his eyes at the sight of it and reached for his gun. “You’re both going to stay right where you are until we figure this out.” Spencer slowly let his hand fall back to his side when it was clear that Tobias was talking to Jack and not himself.

Camilla let out a sharp laugh that caused many to flinch. “Do you really believe  _ you  _ are fit to give orders?” she asked in a mocking tone. “The gun doesn’t change the fact you are and always will be beneath me.” Tobias blinked in confusion as he turned to her. “Your words mean nothing and you have no authority here.”

“Hey Cam,” Silvia started, putting on a fake smile. “I don’t think now is the time for you to do your little ‘I’m better than every single man’ thing. Maybe later?” Camilla huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Camilla has a point,” Cyril announced as he put his hands on his hips. “What exactly makes you fit to lead a group?” Silvia swore as she rolled her eyes.

“Someone got murdered and you want to argue on who gets to play leader?” Tobias asked as he took a step towards Cyril. Spencer stepped in front of Cyril and narrowed his eyes at Tobias. “There are children here for god’s sake! We need to work together, I’m not letting some killer pick us off one by one.”

Jack looked at Spencer and then Tobias, wondering if there was going to be a shoot out. Bridget spoke up as she eyed Cyril and Camilla suspiciously, “unless for some reason they are trying to get us to turn on each other.” Hope gasped as she tugged Wolfgang away from them. Cyril scoffed and Spencer couldn’t hold back a soft snicker.

“That’s enough,” Azazel ordered. “Turning against each other is pointless. We need to come together. Everyone take a deep breath, gather your thoughts and actually think. Community is what we need, not pointless fighting.” Everyone went quiet as they looked at him.

Loren ran back into the room and froze at the sight of the gun. “Whoa, what the hell is happening in here?”

“Don’t worry,” Tobias assured. “I have a concealed carry permit for this.”

“A fuckin’ shitshow is happening, that’s what,” Silvia sighed as she sat on the floor.

“Well, that’s just great,” Loren said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Anyways, before you start blasting away, we need to tell you something.”

Hope pulled Wolfgang into a tighter hug as she asked, “what is it?”

“There’s no one else here,” Claire stated as she wandered into the room. Hope and Tobias began to press for answers. Clarie glanced at Loren for help.

Shaking her head and putting her hands up, Loren began to explain, “we’re alone. There’s no one in the kitchen. No workers. No actors. No staff. There isn’t even any food back there! We’re all alone in this house.”

There was a moment of stunned silence before Hope, Bridget, and Tobias exclaimed  _ “what?!” _

Azazel narrowed his eyes as he started to wander away, only to have the back of his collar grabbed by Camilla. “We have food,” she remarked. “The old woman isn’t much, she’s most likely made out of fat rather than meat. But if we divide her up well, we should have enough to last everyone for the night. We won’t let her death be a waste.” Silvia sighed as she laid down on the floor.

“I don’t think we’re at that point yet, but alright,” Loren said carefully. “There’s one more thing you should know. Claire and I… We aren’t even supposed to be here.” Jack and Jerry shared a look, then glanced at Spencer, who shared the same look.

Everyone quickly shared the same odd story of their car breaking down and coming here for shelter. Jerry tsked and pretended that he truly paid for his spot here at the manor, only to be punched in the shoulder by Jack. Silvia shared their side of the story as she continued to lay on the ground, staring up at the ceiling.

“Wait,” Hope said with a gasp. “If none of us are guests, then how did Nathaniel...” Everyone looked to the spot where Nathaniel stood, only to find he wasn’t there. Somehow, while everyone was talking, he had quietly slipped away. Disappearing from the group.

“What the hell is going on here?” Tobias thought out loud.

“That’s what Jerry and I were trying to figure out!” Silvia shouted as she raised her arms. “This whole thing has been fucked since we got here. Let’s just get the fuck outta this place.”

Tobias tightened his grip on his gun as he said, “no.” Camilla made a sound of disgust in response. “We’re going to the landline to call the police then go from there. There is a killer here, we can’t just leave without having the authorities present.”

After a bit more of arguing, eventually everyone gave up and headed to the basement. Tobias called the local authorities, gave everyone an update on the situation, then ordered everyone to stay in their rooms.

“I’ve had enough of playing into this man's delusions of being in charge,” Camilla growled. “I think everyone can agree that splitting off at this point is beyond idiotic.”

As Camilla and Tobias began to argue, Spencer started to reach for his gun. Silvia put her hand on his arm and shook her head. Giving a confused look, Spencer hesitated and watched as Silvia grabbed Camillas arm to pull her down to her height and whisper in her ear.

“Do you still have my book in your purse?” she whispered. Camilla raised an eyebrow as she nodded. “You left your purse in the room, yeah?” Camilla nodded again. “I need it. So we need to go to our room.”

“Fine,” Camilla hissed then promptly began to walk away. Cyril linked his arm with Spencers as they walked away, leaving the rest of the group in confusion. Tobias blinked then ordered everyone to follow the others and go to their rooms.

One by one, Tobias led everyone to their rooms and ordered them to lock the doors. Cyril smiled as he shut his door, while Camilla growled and slammed her door shut.

They found their clothes, once dripping wet, now completely dry. Silvia quickly got changed then dug around in Camillas purse. “Why do you need so much lip gloss in here?”

“Why not?” Camilla answered as she got changed. Azazel jumped on the bed as he watched Silvia pull out an old notebook. “Why do you need your grandmothers old witches book? Are you going to cast a spell for us?”

“Fuck off,” Silvia huffed. “There’s something supernatural going on here, I’m seeing if anything recorded in my grandmamas notes can help. This is the exact reason I bring it everywhere! You never know when you’re gonna be trapped in some spooky manor with a mystery on our hands.”

“Is this the same grandmama who blinded herself?” Azazel asked.

“She blinded herself so she could always see the truth. But hey, since then she’s been able to call anyone out on a lie.”

“That’s so cool,” he laughed as he flopped down on the bed. “Hey, the energy in this place has gotten a bit more quiet. My head doesn’t hurt as much! Though the two different memories are weird. Spencers car broke down but it didn’t. I can’t tell which memory is right.”

Silvia quickly scanned through the book while Camilla walked over and sat next to Azazel. “Little goat,” she started gently. “What do you mean ‘different memories’? You’ve been saying things all night that do not make sense.”

“Yeah, stuff that doesn’t make sense to YOU, but it makes sense to me,” he pointed out. “But like, I got two different memories that happened at the same time. What ever is trying to mess with my mind didn’t take into account how powerful I am. ANYWAYS! So I remember us being on our way to the demon gathering and pulling over to check something out, then it gets foggy after that. I also remember Spencers car breaking down and us walking here. Two different memories for the same moment.”

Nodding, Silvia flipped through the book. “Messing with minds, huh? Never liked that shit.” Camilla growled in agreement. “Well, that might help us figure out what we’re dealing with. Not a lot of things can create fake memories or erase them. So whatever we got, it’s gonna be a bitch to deal with. Do you think the possible psychic girl can help?”

Camilla got up and began to pace around the room as she thought over the matter. “I’m not working with a psychic! Might as well hand myself over to a demon hunter if I do that. Mind magick is quite rare and powerful, back home only the Mother and Lord could do something like that... What do you think Cyril and Spencer are doing? Perhaps we can all talk over this.”

“They’re probably fucking,” Silvia snorted. Camilla rolled her eyes and Azazel made a face of disgust. “Hey Azzy, you got any other info that could help out?” Azazel shook his head. “Do you think you could do anything about this?”

“I mean, I likely could. Baphoment always called me a ‘supernova of power’ and a ‘being of duality,’ he explained while making air quotes. “Still not exactly sure what they mean, but you know. If I knew more about what’s going on then I could probably do  _ something _ . Speaking of which, Cam-Cam, can I go explore?”

“No! You’re staying here with me so I can protect you.”

“Aw c'mon Cam-Cam! I just want to run around and check a few things out. Now that I’m feeling better I can focus more on what’s going on. Plus the huge hallways are perfect for my skateboard.”

Silvia watched them argue for a bit and slowly closed her book. “Hey, I don’t think letting him run around isn’t too bad of an idea. It’s not like he’s gonna get stabbed in the heart or anything. Azzy is pretty good at taking care of himself. As long as he’s careful and doesn’t wander too far off- or get caught by Tobias or whoever the fuck- I think it’s fine.”

Camilla narrowed her eyes as she glared at Silvia, then gave a sigh. “Fine! But don’t go too far alright? And if you see something that looks out of place, come back here right away. Do NOT get involved in something dangerous!”

“Yeah yeah, I got it!” he smiled as he grabbed his skateboard. Azazel gave Camilla a quick hug and left. Before he closed the door he looked at Silvia and said, “if I figure anything I’ll let you know!”

Giving a soft laugh, Silvia opened the book again. “You can’t baby him forever, Cam. Anywho, I don’t think any type of demon is behind any of this. Most likely something that’s not from this realm but not common.” Camilla hugged herself as she walked over and looked over Silvias shoulder. “In your demon opinion, is it a demon?”

“If it was, they would have recognized Azazel as a royal and treated him as such. Plus they would have seen that Cyril and I are also demons, yet no one has said anything. Demons operating in the mortal realms need permission and certification to do so, lest they deal with the wrath of the celestials. Which I don’t think it’s a type of celestial, we would have seen feathers at some point.

“Do you think he’ll be alright?” Camilla asked, changing the subject as she hugged herself tighter.

“Azazel is insanely powerful, even if he doesn’t know how to use that power to its full potential. If something tries to fuck with him, he can deal with it enough to get back to you. I’m sure he’ll be fine!” Silvia assured. “And with humans being here, he’s gonna be more determined to protect them. He can take on anything.”

Camilla hummed as she drummed her nails on her arm. “I suppose you may have a point. Yes… He’ll be safe, you’re right.” She began to pace again before adding, “I’m giving Cyril and his boy toy a few more minutes before I go and ruin their fun.” Silvia laughed loudly and snorted in response to the comment.

“Oh hey! Look Cam, a page on mites!” Silvia laughed as she shoved the book in Camillas face. Camilla hissed as she swatted the book away. “OoooOOO! Watch out for the mites!” She continued to laugh loudly as the other swore at her. “Calm down! These mites haven’t been seen in over a few thousand years, they’re likely back to whatever realm and planet they came from.”

“You better be right!” Camilla snapped. “If I have to deal with any mites, or let alone an insect, I’ll skin you alive.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Oh snap!” Jerry said. “Jack’s got the shining! Quick! What number am I thinking of?!”

“It doesn’t work that way idiot,” Loren replied. “What did you see?” she asked as she turned to Claire and gently put her hand on her arm. A small gesture to try and offer some sort of comfort.

Claire shook her head softly as she answered, “Nothing. But I felt it.”

Jack exchanged a look with Jerry. With that, they started to move towards the door. “Wait,” Jack started. Jerry looked back at him while Loren and Claire stopped. “Before we go out there- I can’t believe I’m saying this- we’re gonna need some more help. Does this tunnel lead to the other rooms?”

“Yeah, but I’m not risking it anymore. We should just go,” Loren urged. “Do you really trust the lady who thinks you're insane and the guy who practically held you at gunpoint?”

“They’re not who I’m talking about.”

Jerry took a sharp inhale as he drummed his fingers on his hips. “You really think Spencer is gonna help?”

“Not out of kindness,” Jack answered as he shook his head. “But he’s a survivor. We’ve personally seen him live through many fucked up situations, and we all agreed that this is completely fucked.” Jerry pursed his lips as he nodded. “If it means we can get out of whatever the hell this is alive,” Jack grabbed Jerrys hand, “if you can get out of this alive. Then I’m willing to risk working with Spencer.”

“He’s survived death,” Claire whispered and rubbed her throat. “There’s a few that he’s with that aren’t human… They could be helpful. Silvias background and knowledge will help us too.”

Loren let out a soft sigh. “Claire, do you trust this Spencer guy?”

“No. But I trust Jack. And there’s something about Azazel, I trust him too.”

“Alright,” Loren nodded. “You boys seem to know the guy, we’ll wait here while you go get him. Don’t take too long, we’ve already wasted enough time.” Jack nodded as he turned and went back down the tunnel with Jerry followed closely behind. He knew that Loren was staying back in case she and Claire needed to make a run for it, and he didn’t blame her for thinking that way.

They walked down the tunnel until Jack came to a stop in front of a door with an odd latch for a handle. “This room here,” he said and took a deep breath. He wasn’t exactly sure what to expect to find in Spencers room. Jacks hand hovered over the latch and he swallowed hard. Letting out the breath he was holding, he turned the latch and pushed open the door. “Spencer, we need to talk- Oh god.”

Jack wasn’t sure what he expected, but he didn’t expect to walk in on Spencer and Cyril shirtless and in the process of making out. Everyone froze and stared at each other. A heavy tension filled the room, only to be broken when Jerry whistled and looked around. “Man, you guys got a really nice room. Oh, by all means don’t let us interrupt what you two were doing.”

“What the hell do you want?” Spencer grumbled as he grabbed his shirt.

Turning around to give them some privacy, Jack started to explain. “There’s something fucked going on, Jerry and I are gonna try and leave. Strength in numbers I guess.” Spencer laughed. “Look, we both know something isn’t right about this place. I hate the thought of working with you, but if it gets us out of here alive... How about a temporary truce?”

Cyril hummed as he hugged Spencer from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder. “I hate to admit it, but he does have a point. We’ve already noted that whatever is happening here isn’t… Normal. What do you think, dear?”

Spencer thought it over for a few seconds before giving a soft chuckle. “Fine. A temporary truce it is. I gotta say, it’s real sweet you guys are turning to me for help. I’m never going to let you forget this.”

“I hate you so fucking much.”

“I don’t care,” Spencer laughed.

“Well that was a lot easier than I thought it was gonna be,” Jerry thought out loud. “Hey, should we tell them that you have the shining?”

Jack sighed as he said, “you just told them.”

“Oh fantastic,” Cyril growled. “Another damn physic in this mess. Might as well call a bunch of demon hunters to have a traditional demon and physic get together!” He grumbled to himself as he attached his sword to his belt.

Jerry rocked back on his feet as he whispered, “I’m guessing demons and physics don’t really get along.”

Spencer checked the safety on his gun and smirked. “Why don’t you guys go up ahead? We’ll meet you soon enough once we get the other three.” Jack nodded and grabbed Jerrys arm to drag him back into the tunnel.

The two of them quickly walked back to meet up with Loren and Claire, who looked up when they came into view. “What did I say about taking your time?” Loren remarked. “Are they coming or not?”

“Sorry, it was a little awkward-”

“We walked in on Spence and Cy about to get it on.”

“...I was going to leave that part out, but okay,” Jack muttered. “Yeah, they’re coming. They said that they’d meet up with us.” Loren nodded as she turned towards the door.

Suddenly, without warning, Claire clutched her chest and cried out in pain. Loren was quick to catch her before she fell. “What happened?! Are you alright?” she asked as she held her sister close. Jack held onto Jerry for support as he felt the ground shake. He quickly covered his mouth as he fought back the urge to vomit. “Did someone else die?”

“Yeah,” Jack panted. “This isn’t good.”

“Two deaths in less than ten minutes,” Jerry noted. “We need to move.”

“He was so afraid,” Claire whispered as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

The others weren’t sure what she meant, but they didn’t have the time to ask. Jerry held Jacks hand as he guided him out the door, ready to catch him if needed, while Claire and Loren followed. They made it down the first flight of stairs, mind set on leaving, until Loren let out a shrill scream.

On the landing of the second story laid two bodies. Hope laid in a crumpled heap as she bled from a single wound to her throat. It was clear that her death was quick and she was long dead by now. The second body laid closer to the stairs, presumably killed by the same person. Azazel was slumped against the wall in a puddle of his own blood. A bloody knife laid between the two bodies.

Lorens scream brought the rest of the house to the second landing. Bridget screamed as well when she came around the corner. “What happened?” Tobias asked. “Oh my god… Oh my GOD! They even killed a child.”

“What is all this screaming about?” Camilla demanded as she stood at the top of the stairs. Her eyes rested on Azazel and her jaw dropped. “... No. No no no,” she whispered as she ran down the steps. Camilla dropped to her knees beside him and cupped his face. “Little Goat, please look at me.”

“Out of the way!” Cyril snapped as he pushed past everyone and joined Camilla. “It’s going to be okay, he’s going to be okay. I can heal him,” he muttered as he rested his hand over Azazels chest. “I-I can heal him,” he whispered to himself.

Spencer and Silvia stood at the top of the stairs, watching as Cyril desperately tried to heal Azazel. Jack looked at the ground, trying to give them some privacy. The deaths of children were always the hardest for him.

Cyrils eyebrows knit together in confusion when he realized that he couldn’t heal Azazel. His powers weren’t working. “I… I don’t understand,” he choked out as he stared at his blood stained hands. Camillas lower lip quivered as she cradled Azazels body. “Why... It’s not working.”

“Somebody better start talking now,” Tobias ordered as he turned to the others.

“Hey, don’t look at us,” Jerry started as he watched Spencer walk down the stairs.

Gently as he could, Spencer placed his hand on Cyrils shoulder as he knelt beside him. “Hey, look at me,” he whispered. Cyril turned to him as tears began to roll down his cheeks. “Come here.” Spencer pulled him into a hug and smoothed his hair down.

“I couldn’t…” Cyril shakily gasped as he clung to him. Staining Spencers jacket with Azazels blood. He shook as he began to sob, desperately holding on to Spencer like he was a lifeline. It was odd to Jack to see Spencer trying to comfort someone, but he decided he wasn’t going to say anything.

Camilla buried her face into Azazels hair as she let out pained wail. Silvia watched as Tobias and Loren tried to talk to Wolfgang as she brushed her fingers through Camillas hair. While she tried to comfort the other, Silvia blinked away tears and sniffled. “Cam… Cam, I’m so sorry.”

“We need to get out of here,” Spencer said as he held Cyril close.

“Give them a moment at least,” Silvia pleaded.

“We don’t have a moment! Whatever is here isn’t just killing humans. It can kill demons too,” Spencer pointed out. Silvia looked up at the ceiling as she blinked many times, and finally nodded. “Cyril, we need to leave.” Cyril trembled as Spencer wiped away his tears and helped him stand up.

“We can’t leave him!” Camilla wept.

Thinking over his next words carefully, Spencer said, “we need to leave. But we’ll come back for the body when-”

“DO NOT CALL HIM THAT!” Camilla shrieked. “He has a name!” An awkward silence filled the area after Camillas outburst.

Wolfgang stared at Hopes body as he said, “I guess whoever killed the old woman got them too.” His voice was empty and void of any emotion. Spencer glanced at Wolfgang, then made eye contact with Jack. He wanted to shoot the kid right now, but Spencer knew that Tobias would have fired back and the way Loren carried herself was enough to tell him it wasn’t the right moment. He didn’t have the time to carry out a fight right now.

“Who was it?” Camilla growled. She laid Azazel down and stood up. “Who was it?! Speak now or stay as a miserable coward! Either way I’ll slaughter you!” Wolfgang took a step back behind Tobias as Cyril gently grabbed Camillas arm and spoke to her in a hushed voice. The two of them spoke in an unknown language as Silvia took her sweater off and laid it over Azazels head and torso.

Unknown to everyone, Azazel was alive. He stood there, looking at his own dead body, listening as Camilla and Cyril whispered to each other and as Tobias and Jerry argued. “Hey guys,” Azazel spoke up. “This is like, really fucked up.” He looked around at everyone and frowned. “Guys, I’m right here. I’m not dead!”

He walked up to Camilla and waved his hands in front of her face. “If this is some kind of joke I’m gonna be so pissed. Like, c’mon,” he grumbled. When he got no reaction from Camilla or Cyril, Azazel walked over to Spencer and screamed as loud as he could. “...He hates when I do that… LOOK AT ME MOTHERFUCKER!” he yelled. When he got no reaction, Azazels shoulders slumped and he let out a heavy sigh.

“Claire!” Loren cried as she caught her sister. “What’s wrong?” she asked. Jerry put his hand on Jacks shoulder and tried to comfort him.

“FUCK!” Jack screamed. Spencer wasn’t exactly sure what it meant but he knew it wasn’t anything good. “We have to leave!”

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Spencer grumbled as he took Cyrils hand.

Silvia nodded, “there’s no point in staying here if we’re just gonna die! You’re outnumbered dude, we’re leaving no matter what you say.”

Tobias gripped his gun and raised his voice, “I said we’re not going anywhere until-” He was suddenly cut off when Jack pulled out a stun gun and threw it. Hitting Tobias between the eyes and made him fall back. Jerry gave a small cheer and Spencer whistled.

“Jerry!” Jack yelled as he pointed to the stun gun. Jerry dove for it and collided with Tobias. The two of them tumbled down the stairs as they fought over the weapon. Loren and Silvia stepped forward only to be stopped by Jack. “Hold on, he’s got this.”

“You want us to just watch the white boy fight?” Silvia asked.

“Should we…?”

“No, no, he’s got this.”

Loren rolled her eyes and pushed past Jack and stopped at the end of the stairs. “That’s enough!” Everyone gathered around the bottom of the stairs as Loren scolded Jerry and Tobias.

“Can we PLEASE leave now?” Silvia snapped and pointed to the front door. “We have three people dead, one of them is a goddamn kid! Who shouldn’t have died… Let’s just go already.”

Tobias looked up at the group, then up the stairs. “...Bridget? Honey, where are you?” he asked in a shaky voice filled with fear.

“Who cares about her?” Camilla growled. “Why are we waiting for this pathetic waste of space?” Tobias ignored her as he began to race up the steps, calling out Bridgets name with Jerry close behind him. “Why are we waiting for any of them? Let me get Azazel and we can go.”

“What?” Spencer asked as he turned to her. “We can’t bring him. We can’t carry a dead body with us.”

“I’m not dead,” Azazel sighed. “Just for some stupid reason no one can hear or see me. AND I’M GETTING REAL TIRED OF IT!”

“What did I tell you about calling him that?!” Camilla snapped back. “I’m not leaving him behind.” Silvia stepped between them to try and settle Camilla down. “You might be ready to leave him, but I’m not. We wouldn’t be discussing this if Cyril healed him.”

“I tried!” Cyril snapped. “Do you think I would let him die?!”

Camilla growled, “maybe you did.” She lunged at Cyril and tackled him to the ground. “Why didn’t you heal him?!” she demanded as she wrapped her hands around his throat. Cyril gasped for breath as she began to strangle him. Spencer and Silvia quickly tore Camilla off of him.

“Get the fuck off of him!” Spencer spat as he threw her to the side. Silvia held Camilla back as Spencer held Cyril close. “Take a deep breath, are you alright?”

Cyril nodded as he coughed and rubbed his throat. “Camilla… I tried. I really did. He was my brother too, I would never let him die on purpose. My powers… They aren’t working. I don’t know why.” Camilla looked at the ground as she trembled in Silvias arms.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice. “I-I should have protected him. I failed him too. I am so sorry. Mother forgive me.” Silvia swallowed hard as she gently patted Camillas shoulder and exchanged a look with Spencer.

They stayed there for a moment, quietly processing what happened. Azazel sat on the bottom of the stairs, silently watching them. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Wolfgang peeking around the corner at the top of the stairs. “Not this guy,” he mumbled. “Get the hell out of here scrawny-ass!”

Wolfgang started to walk down the stairs. “What’s going on?”

“None of your business,” Spencer grumbled as he stood up.

Azazel stood up and pointed to Wolfgang. “That’s the motherfucker who tried to kill me!” He looked back at where his body laid and hummed angrily. “Or did kill me? I mean, I’m not dead, but no one can hear or see me. I don’t think I’m dead… Fuck this is so weird. It’s like this isn’t even real- Oh fuck.”

“Come on guys,” Silvia urged. “Let’s just get out of here and go to the car. Anything is better than this place.” Cyril and Camilla nodded as they stood up. Suddenly there was a loud ‘boom.’ The lights flickered and the house shook. One of the bookshelves was blown off the wall and laid on the floor as cracks ran up the wall and on the ceiling. “...What the fuck was that?” Silvia whispered as she watched the chandelier swing wildly over them.

“Sounded like a bomb,” Spencer answered as he watched a bit of the ceiling crumble to the ground.

After a bit, Jack and the two girls came back into the lobby. All of them looking like they’ve just gone through hell. They noticed that Jerry wasn’t with Jack, and judging by the look in his eye they knew what happened. Spencer decided that he would say something about it later.

Claire fell into the corner as she struggled to catch her breath, Loren turned to Jack, who simply shook his head. “Is anyone else left?” Wolfgang asked.

“We don’t know,” Jack lied. “I have a plan. The girls will stay here to look for any survivors. Spencer and Cyril can gather anything else we need to get out of here. You and I are going to get my car and bring it around.” Jack and Spencer made eye contact and had a silent agreement.

Jack and Wolfgang soon left after that. Loren and Claire awkwardly looked at the others. “So… What do we do now?” Loren asked.

“Plans changed,” Spencer said. “While Jack is dealing with the kid, I want to find that old shit. As much as I want to get the fuck out of here, I want some answers.” Loren was taken aback by the change in Spencers adtittude.

“There’s a problem with that,” she started. “In the room that the bomb went off, he was there-”

Camilla took a step towards her as she spoke, “explain. Is he dead?”

“That’s the thing,” Loren said as she shook her head. “I tried to kill him, but nothing worked! He just kept talking and was trying to give us ‘hints.’ After the bomb went off, he was gone. Jerry and the others left… Pieces… But he was just gone!”

“I don’t think he’s human,” Claire said. “Like you two.” Cyril tensed up and Camilla let out a deep growl.

Silvia took a step in between the two groups. “Look, I know things are fucking insane right now but haven’t we learned that fighting with each other is not what we need to do. Let’s just find this essential npc, get some goddamn answers then get the fuck out of here already! I feel like we’re just going in circles here.”

“It’s funny that we have a physic in this house while all of this is happening,” Camilla snarled as she marched forward. Claire took a step back. “I remember when physics used to work with others to hunt down demons.”

“Jesus lady,” Loren snapped as she stood in front of Claire. “Do you really think we had something to do with this?”

“All I know is that we have a physic here and a powerful demon is now dead. If she wasn’t the cause she at least knows something!” Claire backed up until her ankles hit the stairs, everyone was closing in on her with Camilla in the lead.

Cyril put his hand on the hilt of his sword as he said, “she has a point.”

When Claire looked at the ground and Loren shifted her weight, Spencer knew that they were hiding something. He quickly reached under his jacket, pulled out his handgun and aimed it at Loren. “I think it’s better for everyone if you two start talking.”

“I… Okay,” Loren sighed as she put her hands up, trying to ease the others. “You guys noticed that Claire is sensitive, she just seems to know things. Like that you two aren’t human or that you survived death. And sometimes she can tell when people are close to death.”

“I’m sorry,” Claire whispered. She made eye contact with Camillla as she repeated, “I’m sorry.”

Camllias eyes flickered to where Azazel laid on the landing and back at Claire. “You knew…” she mused as she clenched her fists. “You knew and you didn’t do ANYTHING!” Giving a growl, she lunged forward and pushed Loren to the side with ease. Claire started up the steps to escape when Camilla grabbed her hair and threw her back down the stairs. 

“It’s not worth it!” Silvia yelled as she pulled Camilla back. “Are you two going to help me with this or just stand there as this situation gets even more fucked up?!” Spencer huffed as he moved to help hold Camilla back.

“Camilla’s right!” Cyril snapped. “She knew yet didn’t do anything to prevent this!”

“Her death isn’t going to bring Azazel back!” Silvia snapped back.

“I’m NOT dead!” Azazel screamed. “None of this is real! It’s all just a fake dream or what ever. But none of you can hear me,” he sighed. Azazel swallowed as he watched as Silvia desperately tried to hold Camilla back. He knew it was only a matter of time before she got loose or Cyril got fed up and gutted Claire. “Guys… C’mon… Stop it.”

As Loren moved again to shield Claire, holding her butterfly knife out in front of her, the ground began to shake. It started as a small rumble then grew to a deafening roar as the whole building shook. The small cracks on the walls and ceiling grew and spread quickly. Everyone lost balance as the chandelier fell near them, sending a cloud of dust and debris up into the air as it landed.

Quickly getting up, Camilla raced off to get her prey. Blinded by tears and fear, Claire grabbed Lorens hand and raced up the staircase. The house shook violently once more, sending support beams crashing to the ground. The chandelier and broken pillars blocked the front door and trapped them inside.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!” Silvia yelled out as she shielded her head from falling debris. Cyril held onto the stair railing, trying to steady himself as he watched in shock as another pillar fell across the stairs and brought the electrical cables down with it.

Camilla let out another growl as she pushed her way through the hanging cables, only to get entangled. In her blind rage, she grit her teeth as she continued to push on, pulling on a wire that was caught on her body. A piece of the ceiling fell onto the wires and pulled them tight, catching around Camillas body and neck.

Her legs kicked as the cables pulled her off the stairs and into the air. Everyone watched in stunned horror as Camilla thrashed in the air, trying to untangle herself from the wires. She clawed at the cables that looped around her throat, only to claw at her own skin.

“Holy shit,” Silvia gasped. “Camilla stop! You’re making it worse!”

“Fucking hell,” Spencer swore as he made his way over to Cyril.

Golden blood dripped from Camillas mouth and throat as she took a gargled breath and convulsed. She violently spasmed and coughed up blood as she desperately tried to free herself. Soon enough, she stopped struggling and fell limp. Her arms fell to her sides as she swung side to side in the air and as her blood dripped onto the staircase.


	5. Chapter 5

Cyril stared at the body that twitched in the air once more before Camillas arms limply fell to her side. Spencer grabbed Cyrils shoulders and spun him around so he couldn’t look at the body. “Hey, just look at me alright?” he whispered. Spencer wasn’t sure how to comfort him. He was never good at comforting people, and this situation was getting worse by the second.

“We…” Cyril started and swallowed hard. “We need to- We need to get her down.”

“This is insane!” Loren screamed as she stopped at the top of the stairs. “Claire, are you alright?” Claire wiped away her tears as she nodded. “Okay, we’re getting out of here.”

“The front door is blocked,” Silvia called out.

“We’re going to find a different way then!” Loren shouted back. “And after you guys trying to kill us, we’re splitting off. You people are insane!” With that, Loren grabbed Claires hand and began to run down a hall.

Silvia watched them go as she walked over to the others. “Alright,” she sighed as she put her hand on Cyrils arm. “Let’s get Camilla down then find a way out of here. Because this,” -she gestured to the rubble of the house that sat around them- “is a weird sign that we’re in some monster house situation.”

Cyril unsheathed his sword and climbed the steps, then carefully began to cut the wires. Spencer and Silvia joined him. Together they untangled Camillas body and laid her on the second landing next to Azazel. Silvia closed Camillas eyes and took a shaky breath.

“Let’s go,” Spencer said. “There has to be other doors leading outside. This place is big enough to have at least one backdoor.”

Azazel watched as they started to leave then looked down at Camillas body. “This… This isn’t real,” he muttered to himself. “It’s some kind of illusion or something, and for some reason I’m the only one who’s ‘awake’.” Azazel looked back at Cyril and frowned. He ran down the stairs and past the group. “Don’t worry Cy! I’m gonna figure something out! Don’t die for real!”

He ran down a hallway, looking for Nathaniel. Occasionally running into rooms to take a quick look around and running back out when he couldn’t find the old man. “Where the fuck are you hiding you old bag of shit?!” Azazel yelled down a hallway. Eventually after a few more minutes of searching, Azazel found him.

Nathaniel sat at the other end of a large ballroom. Marble statues of people laughing, crying and reaching forward lined the walls. Lit candles sat among decorated tables, casting strange shadows. Azazel stood in the doorway and took a step forward, looking around the room as he started to walk in.

“Hey,” he started. “No one else seems to be able to hear or see me. What about you?” Nathaniel sat unmoving as Azazel walked closer. “I’m not supposed to be awake, am I?” Azazel stopped in the middle of the room and looked at a statue that was screaming silently in anger. “What’s with the creepy emotional statues? ...You can’t hear me can you? Damn.”

“There are still many mysteries at Bedside manor to be solved. Perhaps working together with the other guests as a team will help.”

“DUDE!?”

“There are still many mysteries at Bedside manor to be solved. Perhaps-”

“Holy shit,” Azazel swore. “Cam-Cam was right. Old men have nothing of value. Well if you’re just gonna sit there and be no help I’m gonna leave.” Azazel huffed as he turned around and left the room. As he walked out, he swore he heard one of the statues laugh.

“-As a team will help. There are still many mysteries at Bedside manor-” Nathaniel continued to repeat as the door to the ballroom was slammed closed.

Spencer protectively held Cyril close as they began to search for a way out. Gun in hand as he scanned the hallways they walked down. Cyril kept his sword in front of him, a guard ready to defend when needed. Silvia carefully followed behind, brass knuckles in her hands as she made sure nothing was sneaking up on them.

“We need to be careful,” Spencer whispered.

“Yeah, no shit,” Silvia whispered back.

“Are you really still joking around in this kind of situation?” Spencer hissed. Silvia lightly punched him in the back in response. They were honestly glad to have some jokes, it kept their mind off the horrors of what was happening around them. “We know that there’s things here that can kill demons. And we know that this place is… Not right. I think the best action we can take is to quietly leave. We need to retreat.”

Cyril stopped in his tracks as he whispered, “Camillas death.”

“I know it’s hard to hear this, but we can’t focus on that right now. You can mourn once we get out of here,” Spencer sighed as he gently squeezed Cyrils arm.

“That’s not… Well, yes I’m upset about that, but you said something here could kill demons. Camilla didn’t die from another creature! Like most demons, Incubi and Succubi only have certain ways to be killed. Strangulation isn’t one of them and you’ve even stabbed her in the throat before. This doesn’t make sense, she shouldn’t be dead!”

Spencer raised his eyebrows as he processed what Cyril said. “What the fuck is going on here? You’re saying she shouldn’t be dead, but we all saw her die. Camilla isn’t moving, she doesn’t have a pulse. There’s something that we’re missing.”

Suddenly Silvia grabbed them both by the back of their shirts and pulled them into a room. “Shush! There’s something coming,” she hissed as she closed the door. They fell silent as they listened to a quiet metallic footsteps at the end of the hallway.

“That sounds like plate armour,” Cyril mused. Spencer checked the safety of his gun and carefully cracked the door open. They watched in silence as a person clad in armour marched down the hallway, holding their breath as it passed them. “...It… It was empty. There was no one under the faceplate.”

“Haunted armour,” Silvia said. “That’s new and some Scooby-Doo bullshit.” They waited another moment before stepping back into the hallway. “Your healing powers aren’t working, bombs, Cam dying in a way she shouldn’t have, and now haunted armour?! Nothing here makes sense!”

A piercing scream from the way they came caught their attention. They spun to the direction of the sound and waited until there was silence. “Well, those girls are probably dead,” Spencer stated. “We are leaving. Right now.”

The three of them began to run down the hallway, putting as much distance as they could between the armour as they could. Finally they came to a grand room with a glass patio door. Spencer tried the handle only to find it was locked. He then picked up a nearby chair and threw it at the glass, only to have it bounce off with no effect. “Fuck!” he yelled and took a shot. The bullet hit the glass and ricocheted into the wall behind them, everyone quickly ducked for a moment before slowly standing back up.

“DON’T DO THAT AGAIN!” Silvia whisper-screamed at him. Cyril huffed as he swung his sword at the door then the windows. Each hit effortlessly bouncing off, leaving no marks on the glass. “That’s clearly not working either.”

They tried a few of the windows and different ways to break the door open until they heard the metallic footsteps again. “We need to move,” Spencer ordered. He grabbed Cyrils hand and ran out of the room into another hallway. Silvia followed behind, taking a quick glance over her shoulder as they ran.

Running as fast as they could, they turned and ran down a new hallway decorated with detailed hand painted portraits. The eyes of the paintings seemed to follow them as they ran past. “Scooby-Doo bullshit,” Silvia muttered to herself as she ran. Finally when they felt it was safe enough, they ducked behind a corner to catch their breath. “Well gang,” Silvia huffed with her hands on her knees. “It seems like we got some fucked up situation on our hands.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Cyril grumbled. “Are you two alright?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Spencer said as he straightened up. “We need to keep moving.”

Instead of running, they began to walk down the hallway. Feeling like they put enough space between them and whatever else was in the house and knowing they needed to save their energy. As they continued down the hall, they noticed a soft orange glow coming from one of the rooms.

The door was slightly ajar, seemingly pulling them towards the source of the light. Beyond their better judgement, they pushed the door open all the way. It was a study, complete with bookcases packed with old books. Off to the side was a desk with a large wooden chair. In the center was an elegant copper pedestal with an orange crystal, hovering slightly above it at chest level.

“What the hell?” Spencer thought out loud.

“It’s a centra ambal,” Cyril mused. Spencer and Silvia turned to him with questioning looks. “A crystal that you can communicate with,” he tried to explain. “Many realms use them, they’re extremely common in demonic realms. You can use them to talk and see beyond your own realm.”

“Oooohhhh,” Silvia chimed. “Like a palantír!” Spencer shrugged. “You know, a seeing stone? It’s what they’re called in Lord Of The Rings.”

“I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

“I might be able to send an S.O.S call,” Cyril pointed out.

Spencer nodded. “Now that, I understand. Anything is worth a shot at this point, but we still need to be careful.”

Cyril nodded as he stepped up to the crystal, it shone brighter as he got closer. He muttered in a soft voice as he lightly ran his fingers on an engraving on the pedestal. The crystal focused the light and a soft orange image appeared in front of him. Similar to a hologram of a type of keyboard with an image of a city above it.

“That’s odd.”

“What?” Spencer asked as he stepped closer. “Can you read any of it?”

“I can, thankfully it’s in demonic. But an ancient form of demonic, I can read it but it’s a bit difficult,” Cyril said with a frustrated sigh. “And the city it’s showing, that’s the City of Dis, but-”

“The city in Hell?” Silvia interrupted.

“Yes that city. Now, if you’ll let me speak,” Cyril shot at her. “It’s an old version of the city. That’s the city I got to explore when I was a demonling, it’s had so much work done since then. That’s so odd, centra ambals only show realms with other crystals. They can’t show the past or possible futures! This doesn’t make any sense.”

Cyril continued to type on the holographic keyboard and speak commands. Different cities flickered on the screen, each one he would grumble about how it didn’t make sense.

Spencer swore as he kicked the desk. “Does anything work or make sense in this damn place?! Fucking hell.” The group went quiet as they waited, hoping that Cyril would be able to sort out the crystal, when they heard the tapping of a cane down the hall. Spencer tightened his grip on his handgun as he marched towards the door. “Fucking finally. Maybe we can get some answers.”

“I TOLD you guys that the old man has something to do with this!” Silvia remarked as she opened the door. “They always do! It’s just like Scooby-Doo. Cyril, you coming to beat up the old guy with us?”

“I’ll be right there,” he called over his shoulder.

“Be quick,” she said as she went to catch up with Spencer. The moment the two of them walked out of the room, the door slammed shut behind them. “Oh, fuck no.” Silvia turned sharply on her heel and tried the doorknob, only to find it locked.

The sudden noise of the door slammed caused Cyril to flinch slightly. He ran to the door and tried to open it. As he tried to desperately open the door, it suddenly went dark. The light of the crystal went out, leaving Cyril in total darkness.

“Cyril, babe, open the door,” Spencer said, trying to hide the slight fear in his voice.

“I tried! It’s locked,” Cyril called out.

“Shit. Alright step back! I’m gonna kick it open.” As Spencer got ready to kick the door open, Silvia searched around for anything that could open the door. Cyril took a few steps back when his back hit a wall. He spun around and reached his hand out, finding the large study was now only a small closet.

Spencer kicked the door, driving his weight into his heel as he planted his foot under the doorknob. The door didn’t even budge with the impact. Spencer took a few deep breaths before he tried again.

Silvia ran back to the door as she shouted, “I found an axe!” Without a word, Spencer yanked it from her hands and reared back. The blade of the axe hit the wooden door and simply bounced off.

Taking a deep breath, Cyril tried to calm himself. The temperature began to drop and he shivered. The sudden change and the chill made his heartbeat quicken. “S-Spencer…”

“Hold on! I’m gonna get you out of there,” Spencer yelled as he got ready to hit the door again. Cyril sighed as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew what he was going to say was going to upset Spencer, but he felt it was the best option.

“Spencer, my love, listen to me.” Spencer lowered the axe as Cyril spoke. “It’s not working. We both know that the door isn’t going to break down, there’s something here controlling the house. There’s something here watching us, it wants to see us fight for our lives and struggle.”

“...What are you saying?”

“I’m not going to give it that satisfaction,” Cyril couldn’t help but smirk to himself as he said that. “It’s cold… It’s really cold in here.” Spencers heart sank, he knew how terrified of the cold Cyril was. “It’s getting colder in here by the second, I can feel frost on the door.”

Silvia blinked as she processed what Cyril was saying. “You stubborn bastard. Are you really just gonna give up?”

Spencer shook his head, “I am going to get you out. You’re going to be fine!”

“We all know that this house doesn’t work like that, Dear. Am I stubborn? Yes, absolutely,” Cyril chuckled. “Giving up? I don’t see it like that. Whatever is doing this, it wants to watch us fight and become overcome with grief when we realize there’s no hope. I’m going on my own terms. It’s clear that there’s no way for me to get out of this, so I’m going to accept it.”

“Don’t say that!” Spencer shouted, the fear now painfully clear in his voice. It pained Cyril to hear him like this.

“...Thank you…”

“Huh?”

“Thank you for making me so happy,” Cyril said with a sad smile. “I love you. I love you so much. I’m glad I got to love you and spend my life with you.” Spencer rested his forehead against the door and blinked away tears. Cyril sat on the floor, curling his knees to his chest as he tried to stay warm. “I don’t regret any of the time we spent together, my love.”

“I love you too,” Spencer managed to say. He took a deep breath, struggling to hold back his tears. “Cyril, I… I don’t know what to say other than I love you.”

“That’s all I need to hear. You don’t need to say anything else.” Cyril brushed his hair to the side, it was stiff with frost and ice. “And Silvia?”

Silvia swallowed hard as she spoke up, “yeah?”

“I guess you’re one of my best friends and I love you. Even though you’re a complete bitch.”

Barking a broken laugh, Silvia wiped away her tears. “Fuck you too.”

Cyril softly laughed before going quiet. “...Get out of this place… I want… I want you to live…” Spencer couldn’t find the words to respond, all he could do was take a shaky breath.

There were a few moments of silence and by now Spencer could feel the chilling cold through the door. He took a deep breath then croaked out, “Cyril? Babe?” He waited for a response but got nothing. “FUCK!” he loudly screamed and punched the door. “FUCK THIS SHIT!” He shook with anger as he took a few steps away from the door while Silvia quietly cried.

Down the hallway, a low growl caught their attention. They froze and looked at each other, then down the hallway. Stepping around the corner was a snow white polar bear. It gave another growl then a roar as it saw them.

Spencer quickly took aim and fired. The bullet hit the bear between the eyes, but seemingly did no damage. The bear stood up on its hind legs and gave a deafening roar. “Well shit,” Spencer swore as he took a step back.

“Good job! Now you just pissed it off!” Silvia shouted as she grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hallway. “Out of everyone here, I had to get stuck with you.”

“Hey, I’m not happy about this set up either,” Spencer shot back. Silvia snorted as she gave a laugh. He couldn’t help but give a soft chuckle at her complaints. Despite everything, Spencer was a little glad that he wasn’t alone. They turned the corner and came to another long hallway that seemed to go on forever. “Christ. How big is this place?”

“Don’t ask me. I’m just here,” Silvia answered. “Aw man, I think those are the girls from earlier.” They came across the bodys of the sisters, laying close to each other in a large puddle of their own blood. It was hard to tell who died first, but the stab wounds showed it didn’t take too long.

A loud ‘clunk’ caught their attention and before them stood the armour, brandishing a long and bloody sword. Spencer clenched his teeth as he took a step back. Silvia turned to see the polar bear blocking the hallway. They were trapped.

“Hey, did you learn anything that would be actually useful when you were in the army? Like I don’t know, how to get out of this mess?”

“How to fight polar bears or haunted armour wasn’t part of any of the training exercises.”

“Okay, glad to know that your time in the army was a complete waste.” Spencer smirked in response as they stood back to back. “Alright,” Silvia started in a serious whisper. “None of our weapons are cut out for these… Things. And I really don’t think taking them on in hand to hand combat is gonna work out either.”

“The armour is slower than the bear, we have a better chance of getting past that. It sucks but our only option right now is to escape,” Spencer growled. “...Wait for it… Okay NOW!” The two of them charged at the armour, it raised its arm to grab Spencer, but he was faster. He ducked underneath its arm only to realize it wasn’t aiming for him. The armour grabbed a fistful of Silvias hair and pulled her off the ground.

Aimlessly kicking her legs, Silvia clawed at the metal arm and let out a pained noise. “OW?!”

Everything in Spencers body was screaming at him to keep going. To run and take care of himself, yet he skidded to a stop. “Fuck.” Grabbing the closest thing, which was a vase on an antique table, Spencer quickly smashed it against the helmet. “Hey, you fucking piece of shit!”

The suit of armour ignored him and effortlessly threw Silvia into the wall as if she was nothing more than a ragdoll. The air in her lungs were knocked out upon impact.

Spencer didn’t know what to do. The bear seemed to have vanished but he decided to worry about that later. He already saw that bullets don’t work on anything here, and he had a feeling that punching the suit of armour wasn’t the best option.

Nothing made sense.

This couldn’t be real.

Taking a loud gasp of air, Silvia locked eyes with Spencer and choked out, “go.” Then, before anyone could say anything further, before anyone could move, the suit of armour grabbed Silvia by the throat. There was an awful ‘crunch’, then silence.

Seconds felt like hours as the suit of armour stood up and turned to Spencer. He clenched his fists, quickly thinking over what would be the best solution, and waited for the armours next move. To his confusion, it simply turned around and began to wander back down the hallway.

“...Shit.” He was used to being on his own and not having anyone he could trust or depend on, but now it felt different. Spencer grew to appreciate having someone he could trust around. The love of his life froze to death and he just watched someone he might consider a friend die in front of him. He felt empty. Spencer looked around and ran his hand through his hair, almost wishing to have someone else there with him. Hell, he was willing to put up with Camilla or Azazel at this point if it meant that he wasn’t alone. But they were all dead and he was alone.

He racked his brain to try and make sense of what happened as he started down the hallway. There wasn’t any sign of the bear, it was simply a trap made by the house. The demonic crystal was also a trap made to lure them in. The house had it all planned and he fell right into their hands.

That emptiness he felt slowly turned to anger. That anger turned to rage, and it was reaching its boiling point. Spencer had a newfound determination as he marched down the hallway. “HEY!” he shouted. “HEY YOU BLIND FUCK! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!”

Azazel walked down the hallway screaming song lyrics to himself as he looked for Cyril. The sound of angry shouting caught his attention and he stopped. He waited for a moment, trying to figure out what direction it came from then took off running. It didn’t take him long to find Spencer, he grinned when he found someone he recognized but his smile fell when he saw Spencer was alone.

“Hey, can you still not hear me?” Azazel asked as he ran up to him. After he got no response, he sighed and muttered, “figures. Unless you’re ignoring me which is also likely I guess… What happened to Cy? What about Silvia?” Azazel looked up at Spencer, desperately hoping that he could hear him and would answer. He noticed the rage in his eyes and how tense he was. Spencer looked bloodthirsty. “I hate when you get like this.”

They walked down the hallway together. Spencer unaware that he wasn’t alone anymore and Azazel still talked as if he was being heard. Eventually they stopped in front of a pair of dark french doors that opened as they walked by. Spencer knew something was wrong but his anger clouded his judgement as he saw the old man at the end of the large ballroom.

“Dude, don’t go in there! It’s so creepy,” Azazel hissed as he watched Spencer walk in. He nervously shifted his weight as he watched from outside. Groaning in annoyance, Azazel followed in. Glancing at the statues as he walked in. “This isn’t right.”

“Hey, I got some questions and you’re going to give me answers. Got it?” Spencer snapped as he got closer to the old man.

“Ah, it seems that we only have two guests here at Bedside manor who is still in the game.” Spencer guessed that meant Jack or the weird kid was still alive. Unfortunately he knew from experience that Jack didn’t die easily. “Truly tragic that we had so many fall to the dangers and mysteries here. Perhaps if you all worked toget-” Nathaniel was cut off when Spencer grabbed his walking cane and hit him over the head with it.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!”

“If you all worked together, these tragedies could have been avoided. Everyone here has different strengths that can be of use.”

Spencer bared his teeth as he suddenly threw the cane across the room and grabbed hold of the mans jacket. “Shut up! Shut the fuck up!” Azazel flinched as he watched Spencer punch Nathaniel in the face, shattering his sunglasses.

He continued to beat the man until his knuckles were bloody and his muscles ached. Spencer stood over him, his breathing harsh and ragged as he glared down at him.

“To solve the mystery here at Bedside manor-”

“Shut up… Unless you’re going to give me some goddamn answers,” Spencer growled as he stomped on the mans swollen face. “ _THIS PLACE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!_ ” he screamed as he took the large combat knife off his belt. Part of Spencer wanted to shoot the man to get it over and done with, but this was personal. Overall he wanted him to suffer.

He stabbed him in the face, neck and chest. Over and over until the man was turned to nothing but a bloody pulp of flesh. Azazel turned around to avoid looking at the scene, covering his ears and closing his eyes.

Angry tears stung the corners of Spencers eyes as he stood back up, trying to catch his breath. The body before him remained unmoving, but spoke one final time. It was a garbled sentence, but Spencer was able to quickly piece together what it said. 

“Better luck in the next round.”

“What?!” Spencer felt a hand squeeze his wrist and he turned to be face to face with a laughing statute. It laughed loudly as it squeezed with enough force to break bone. Spencer tried to get free, hoping that shock numb the pain long enough for him to escape, when another hand grasped his leg. Multiple statues reached out to him, laughing, crying, screaming, trying to claw at his skin. He let out a pained yell as marble hands dug and tore at his flesh.

Azazel ran out of the room and hid behind the wall. He sat on the ground as he shut his eyes tight and clamped his hands over his ears. Taking deep breaths as he tried to keep calm. “This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This can’t be real,” he whispered to himself. He waited, and after what felt like forever, he slowly opened his eyes.

Blinking in confusion, Azazel found himself back at the dinner table with everyone else. Everyone was alive. Everyone looked fine, other than the fact that most of them were screaming in confusion. Tobias and Bridget embraced, Hope vomited onto her dinner plate, Wolfgang glared at Jack. Azazel tried to process what happened when he was scooped up into a tight hug.

“Little Goat,” Camilla gasped. “You’re alright! You’re alright.”

Azazel gasped for breath as he hugged her back. He saw Silvia rubbing her throat as she looked around in confusion. Cyril gently touched Camillas arm and gave Azazel a once over. Satisfied that they were alright, he turned to Spencer and pulled him into a passionate kiss. They clung to each other for some sense of support as they rested their foreheads together.

“There are children here!” Hope snapped.

“Oh please,” Cyril scoffed. “It’s not like I’m on my knees suck-”

“Bring it in a bit, bud,” Silvia called out. Spencer and Cyril laughed in response. “And ma’am I’ll literally pay you to fuck off.”

“Guys, there’s something I gotta tell-” Azazel started but was cut off from Camilla intensely holding onto his shoulders.

“Who was it? Who was the peasant who dared to harm you?!” she demanded. “Tell me who it was and I’ll give them a slow and painful death.”

People continued shouting until Jerry whistled and ordered everyone to calm down and be quiet. “Did I just… Die?”

“Not fun, is it?” Spencer asked.

Jack started to fill Jerry in on what happened as he held onto his arm, not wanting to let go and risk losing him again. Cyril and Camilla talked in hushed demonic as they tried to share ideas of what was happening.

“Now everyone,” Nathaniel started as he stood up.

Jerry threw a plate at him in response, it smashed upon impact. Everyone started sharing on how they died, trying to make a timeline of events until Wolfgang accused Jack of killing him. “Oh, shut your butt, Wolfie. We’re not idiots. We know that it was you that killed your mom. And likely Azazel too.” Camilla turned and stared at Wolfgang with the intensity of a wild animal.

Tobias quickly tried to get a handle on the situation before it grew out of hand again. Before anyone could act, a loud chime sounded and echoed within the house. 

“Oh, I hate that sound,” Silvia grumbled.

“What the hell was that?” Jerry asked as he looked around the room.

Nathaniel smiled and clapped his hands together as he answered, “Ah, goodie! It seems that the detective has finally arrived. Perhaps he can help us sort out this ghastly affair.”


	6. Chapter 6

When the detective walked into the dining room, chaos erupted. Jerry threw a chair at him, only to have his front teeth promptly knocked out. Loren tried to stab him only to be sent backwards into the table. When Spencer watched Tobias shoot the detective, and when it had no impact, he knew it was better to lay low then waste anymore time or energy.

Camilla gave a deep growl as she prepared to lunge across the table at the detective, but stopped when Azazel held his hand up. Instead, she ushered Azazel behind her and watched the detective with the eyes of a starving animal.

The detective broke Tobias’ fingers and looked around to see if anyone else would challenge him. Cyril unsheathed his sword and held it in a defensive position, one hand out to keep Silvia and Spencer behind him.

“It’ll just be a waste of time,” Spencer whispered. “He took a bullet and it did nothing.”

“I know,” Cyril whispered back. “But I’ll defend you if he gets any closer.”

Azazel tried to step out, but was held back by Camilla. “What do you want?” he demanded.

“If you would all be so kind and please meet me in the grand hall,” he said and gestured towards the doorway. “That is all I would like.”

“Bullshit!” Jerry yelled and spat blood towards the detective. “I hate this guy.”

Eventually, everyone begrudgingly gave in and followed him to the grand hall. The detective straightened out his clothes as he took his place in front of the fireplace. Nathaniel happily sat in his armchair, bearing a smile that annoyed everyone deeply.

“Well, well, well,” he said as he looked at a decorative pocket watch. “It seems you lot have managed to cock up quite a bit in such a short amount of time.”

Unable to hold back his laugh, Azazel doubled over. “This dude said ‘cock.’” Jerry burst out laughing as well. The detective frowned as he looked at the group.

Silvia gave a heavy sigh and said, “he’s British. Of course he’s British.”

“Shall we try this again?” Giving an awfully sinister smile that made many cringe, the detective put away his pocket watch. “As you have no doubt gathered-”

“We gathered that you’re a complete cunt,” Silvia insulted.

“-The mystery of Bedside Manor spans further than any of you anticipated. But I’d like to simplify things. Here is what I propose: Solve the mystery, and you will be free to go.” He grinned at the group, who in turn glared at him.

Loren scoffed as she crossed her arms across her chest, “here’s a counter proposal. How about you go fuck yourself?”

Jerry spat more blood on the floor as he spoke up. “Counter-counter proposal, how ’bout you go shit yourself?”

Giving a nod and raising his hand, Jack agreed with Jerry as he said, “I second that proposal.”

“Thirded,” Loren nodded.

“I cast my vote in too,” Silvia said.

Azazel smirked as he added, “the people have spoken. And I rule that you should go shit yourself.”

“Go shit yourself!” Jerry yelled and jabbed his finger in the detectives direction.

Despite the smile, it was clear he was furious. The corner of his mouth twitched as he took a deep breath. “I feel confident that this group will find its motivation in time. But until then, allow me to offer a few hints: There is no reason to venture outside the compound. Every action will have consequences. If you miss a clue, you will have a chance to-”

Camilla gave a harsh laugh which caused the people next to her to flinch. “This game does not amuse me,” she sneered. Jerry got up and stomped out into the parlor. “Let us go or you will regret it.”

“If you lot won’t stop interrupting me, I’ll have to put you in time-out-”

“What is this? Kindergarten?!” Silvia exclaimed.

Jerry held a bottle of alcohol high above his head as he hollered out, “higher that eighty!” Tobias and Spencer looked back at him, both clueing in on what he had planned. Jack glanced at the three men, not understanding what it meant, but knowing something was about to happen. He wasn’t exactly sure if it was going to be something good or something incredibly stupid.

“What -pray tell- does ‘higher than eighty’ mean?” the detective asked. A lot of things happened at once. Jerry splashed his drink in the detectives face and Tobias managed to get a burning log from the fireplace. Together they successfully set the inhuman man on fire. Spencer grabbed a fire poker and whacked the detective in the back of the head then dodged before he could be grabbed.

Gritting his teeth in anger, the detective grabbed Jerry by the throat and lifted him off the ground with ease. Jack charged at him, without thought in a desperate attempt to save Jerry, only to be thrown into a nearby wall. His body then crumpled to the floor like a wet towel, a pool of blood slowly spreading around him. Jerry tried to scream but his throat was crushed and he went limp.

Hope grabbed Wolfgangs hand and ran for the front door as the detective threw Jerry to the side and turned to Tobias. Loren and Claire backed up, unsure on what their next move should be.

Once finished with Tobias, he turned to Spencer. Cyril stepped in front of Spencer with his sword pointed towards the detective. “Tye indóme gar- na belth- nin na get na hon!” he challenged. The walking ball of fire stopped and looked at Cyril with slight confusion.

“FINALLY!” Camilla yelled. “Time for an actual fight!” She pushed Azazel towards Silvia as she whispered, “get him out of here. I’ll meet up with you soon.” Camilla growled as she marched towards the detective.

“Cam, Cyril, you can’t fight in those dresses!” Silvia called out as she held Azazel back.

“Yes I can,” Cyril scoffed.

“Fine. I’ve always hated these dresses anyways,” she snarled. Camilla took hold of the fabric and pulled on it. There was the sound of cloth tearing as she ripped it off of her and then promptly tossed the ruined dress to the side. “You!” she roared as she pointed to the detective. “I am done with these foolish games. I am going to slaughter you.”

“...I wasn’t expecting to be dealing with demons,” he muttered. “You must be the unexpected guests. No matter, you’re part of the game now.” The fire behind him grew as it climbed up the curtains and consumed the bodies of Jack and Jerry. “I guess you’ll all have to try again in the next round.”

He reached for Camilla, only to have Cyril slash his chest with the sharp blade. Spencer took hold of the fire poker and bashed the detective in the kneecaps. Giving a deep core shaking growl, Camilla lunged and tackled the detective. She clawed at his throat and chest until he kicked her off. When he stood up, Cyril buried the blade deep into his chest and Spencer hit him with an uppercut swing.

Silvia swallowed hard as she picked Azazel up and threw him over her shoulder. She started to run for the front doors when Azazel suddenly yelled out, “don’t go outside!” Skidding to a stop, she didn’t ask questions on why she couldn’t go outside but then turned and ran deeper into the manor. Following Loren, Bridget and Claire as she took the kid away from the fight.

The group ran down a hallway until they could no longer smell smoke or hear any sounds of the fighting. “What… The hell is that thing?” Loren panted.

“Not sure,” Silvia said as she set Azazel down. “He for sure isn’t human.”

“Some sort of demon,” Bridget hissed as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

“He’s not a demon,” Azazel corrected. “I don’t know what he is, but he’s not a demon or celestial.” Bridget shot him a look but stayed quiet. “...They’re gonna be back right? Spencer, Cy and Cam-Cam are gonna be fine.”

The four women all shared a look then Silvia gave a sigh. “Listen Azazel, I can’t promise you anything and I’m not going to lie to you. Those three are going to fight like hell, but we all just saw how fucked up that guy is.” Azazel slowly nodded as he took in what she was saying. “That being said, I’m hoping that they meet up with us and that we figure out how to get the hell out of here.”

Bridget turned to her as she gave a frustrated look. “You’re hoping? Really? That’s what you’re relying on?! Hope isn’t going to get us out of here. We don’t even know what’s going to happen next! We’re not made to go up against some inhuman thing!”

“Hey!” Silvia snapped back. “We don’t have much but I’m going to hang on to this hope like it’s the last thing I have. Yes, we’re not really made to go up against that dude but I’ll be fucked if I don’t try. Humans don’t give up easily, being human isn’t a weakness. We don’t have time to worry about what’s coming next or what happened, only the time to worry about now. So let’s stop wasting time standing around worrying and get some work done.”

Shuffling slightly, Bridget nodded. Loren and Claire exchanged a look and nodded as well. “He said that we need to solve the game,” Claire said. “Then we’ll be let go.”

“And if he’s lying?” Loren asked. “What do we do then?”

Silvia started down the hallway and called out over her shoulder, “we don’t have time to worry about the future! We’ll get there when we get there.” She pulled her afro back into a ponytail and took her jacket off, casting it off to the side. “Come on ladies. Come on Azzy. We got some work to do.”

The group walked down the hallway, discussing ideas as they tried to think of any previous clues. Thanks to the fire, the grand hall was off limits. They knew the fire was spreading more and more each second that past. According to the detective, outside was off limits as well. Azazel didn’t explain why, but he knew that part was true. He wasn’t exactly sure why he knew, but he knew it was right.

As they talked, Claire cried out and stumbled forward. Loren caught her and checked her over. “I… I’m sorry,” she whispered and refused to look Silvia or Azazel in the eye. She didn’t need to explain, they knew what it meant.

“There’s something here,” Azazel said in a frustrated tone. “Something here that will make sense of this whole fucked up mess. I can feel it.”

“And what do you mean by that?” Bridget pressed.

“Why don’t you leave him the hell alone,” Silvia warned as she stood in between them. “Listen, I want to work together because that’s gonna be our best course of action, but I KNOW you aren’t who you say who you are. Something about the way you carry yourself, there’s something that you’re hiding. I’ll work with you but if you dare even try to do anything to him, I’ll fucking kill you.”

Bridget took a step towards Silvia and sized her up. Silvia got in her face and glared back at her. The two of them stood there for sometime, not wanting to be the first one to back off.

“I don’t think anyone here is who they say they are,” Bridget whispered. “That whore friend of yours? She’s probably got a lot to tell. And those gays? I’ve seen people like them before in my work.” She glanced at Azazel then back at Silvia. “I’d love to know what that kid is hiding. I bet it’s something good.”

“Get the fuck out of my face you fuckin’ cunt!” Silvia yelled. Before Bridget could act, Silvia punched her in the face. She stumbled back then slapped Silvia across the face with enough force to split her upper lip. Bridget winced as her hair was pulled, slightly surprised at the strength as she was roughly thrown to the ground. Putting all her weight into her knee, Silvia dug it into Bridgets back and put her in a headlock. “In your line of work? Thought you were just a boring ol’ housewife. You let a bit slip didn’t you?”

Loren stomped her foot forward as she yelled, “both of you stop it! That’s enough out of both of you!”

Silvia squeezed Bridgets neck a bit tighter as she hissed, “this is your only warning.” She let the other go and stood up. “Azazel, you’re sticking close to me. Got it?” Azazel nodded as he avoided watching the fight. “And you, miss housewife, are on thin ice.”

The group walked in silence for a bit, the hostile tension between Silvia and Bridget hung heavily in the air. Claire leaned towards Silvia and gently nudged her. “Don’t let her or Tobias know what he is,” she whispered. “If they know he’s not human, it won’t end well.”

Balling her hands into fists, Silvia glanced over at Bridget. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t make any movies, she just made a mental note to keep an eye on her.

“Perhaps a trip to the kitchen is in order,” a voice behind the group said. Everyone spun around to face Nathaniel, who stood there in the center of the hallway with a smile. “I believe there are clues there to solving the mystery in there.”

“I don’t trust this British fuck,” Silvia announced. “What do you guys think?”

“Same,” Loren said. “Fuck this guy.” With that the group agreed and turned back around and left the old man. “I wish the fire killed him- Oh SHIT there’s still the fire!”

“Did you forget that there was a fire?!” Silvia questioned in bewilderment. “Come on guys, think on where the next clue could be. The fire probably has eaten the grand hall, the stairs, the parlor and the east wing of this place. There can’t be a lot of places left for us to look.”

Sniffing the air, Azazel frowned as he said, “I think the fire is a lot closer than we thought. It’s smelling pretty smoky in here.” Everyone stopped and sniffed the air. To their panic he was right. Silvia looked up at the ceiling and watched as smoke lightly drifted across the ceiling.

“We have to go. The fire is spreading faster than I thought it would.”

They quickly hurried down the hallway, arguing over what way would be better and where to look for clues. After a while, the smoke began to fill the hallway. “I think,” Claire started, pausing to give a cough. “Maybe we should go to the kitchen. He’s supposed to be a guide.”

They started to make their way to the kitchen as fast as they could while avoiding any places with a high concentration of smoke or fire. The smoke seemed to be getting thicker as they went on. It stung their eyes and throat, clinging to their clothes as they walked through it.

Finally they saw it, with Nathaniel standing by the doorway waiting for them. Azazel stopped as he felt something call out to him. It was the reason why he knew the answer wasn’t outside. It was the reason he knew that this was all an illusion. And it was calling him to find it, calling him deeper into the manor.

“Azzy?” Silvia choked out when she realized he wasn’t with her. “Azazel?! Where the hell are you going?” She watched in a terrified confusion as he walked towards the fire. “Stop!” Silvia started after him but the heat of the fire was too much for her. She blinked the burning tears from her eyes as she scanned the area for him. “Azazel!”

“Leave him!” Bridget called out to her. “We don’t have time to go after him!”

“Fuck you,” Silvia shot back. “I’m not letting him burn up out here. Go on without me or whatever. I don’t care.” With that, Silvia forced her way forward into the flames. The others watched her go then ran into the kitchen. The doors shut behind them, locking them inside and her outside.

Silvia desperately stumbled through the flaming rubble of the manor, calling out as loud as she could. The manor crumbled around her as she pressed on. “Azazel… Please…” Silvia clutched her throat as a harsh coughing fit brought her to her knees.

It was hot. The air burned her throat as she tried to breathe. Her eyes stung badly and no amount of tears seemed to help. Silvia tried pulling herself along the floor, her voice croaking as she tried calling out. Her skin began to blister as she was burned alive. Silvia pulled herself along until she physically couldn’t move her muscles anymore.

The pain began to fade as her nerves were burned and her eyes felt heavy. She took one last breath of smoke as she closed her eyes. A sense of guilt washed over her as everything faded away.

Azazel walked down the hallway, blinking the smoke from his eyes as he continued on. He knew there was something here that he could use to get them out of this illusion. No matter what, he was going to find it. The sounds of his footsteps stopped as he came to the end of the hallway and stared ahead at the full length mirror.

The mirror showed his reflection, looking as tired and ragged as he felt. The mirror also showed the hallway, but instead of fancy wallpaper and soft lighting, it was dark and worn down. It reflected a decaying state of the building with white glowing orbs on the walls. He squinted his eyes as he tried to piece together what exactly he was looking at.

Part of Azazel wondered if it was a trick, but he knew he was looking beyond the illusion. It was no trick. Reaching out, he placed his fingertips against the cold glass. His reflection copied his movements and placed its fingertips against his own. Azazel wasn’t sure what he was doing but it felt right as he tried to push. Trying to push through the mirror like pushing through a curtain.

His eyes focused on something behind his reflection, it was difficult to look at but he forced himself to look at it. It was tall and vaguely the shape of a humanoid being, yet it seemed flat with no features. Azazel stared at the being of void before softly saying, “you’re the one behind this whole mess.”

“...Yes. Truth be told, this whole thing was my idea,” it spoke, a sense of pride in it’s garbled voice. Azazel could barely hear it, but he could feel the whisper in the energy of the space. “I’m not sure how you’re able to talk to me like this despite being in the game.”

“We don’t have to fight, you know.” The entity stayed silent as it seemed to walk closer to him. “Let everyone go and I’ll make sure no harm comes to you. If you keep us here, wherever here is, then I can’t promise that you’ll be safe when we escape.”

“When you escape?” it echoed with a soft laugh. “You speak with a mighty command for a child.”

“You aren’t from this realm.”

“Neither are you.” The being stood directly behind Azazel, towering above him. “What exactly are you?

“What are you?” Azazel asked in return. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning out any other sound. “What’s the point of the illusion? If it’s for survival I’m sure if you talk with the Alliance of the Realms that something can be sorted out-”

The void crouched down to Azazels height. “Why don’t you go back to the game? These things don’t concern you.”

Azazel quickly turned to face the other, only to find himself alone. He turned back to the mirror and sighed when it showed nothing unusual. “We don’t have to fight!” he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. “I don’t want to fight! We can work something out!” Azazel sighed again as he let his hands fall to his sides. “...I really don’t wanna fight you.”

He sat on the ground and leaned against the mirror, staring at his reflection. What was it that he was missing? What was so important about this mirror? His mind raced as he tried to figure out what the energy was telling him. He didn’t understand.

‘I don’t understand,’ he thought. ‘I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand.’ He thought over and over until his brain hurt and he rubbed his temples.

His eyes widened as he went still.

He did understand.

But was he willing to do it?

Standing up, Azazel took off his sunglasses and faced the mirror. Could he break it? Would he be able to get out of the illusion? Would he be able to get his family and friends out? Could he save the others? He knew those weren’t the questions he should be asking himself.

Was he willing to break the mirror?

Was he willing to learn things that could not be unlearned?

He wasn’t sure. As he hesitated, Azazel glanced behind his reflection and his reflection stared at the being of void.

“What do you think you’re doing?” it asked.

“I don’t know.”

“What ARE you?” it demanded once again. “You aren’t just some child. You’re some creature. A creature that shouldn’t exist.”

“Shut up.”

“Why are you crying?” The void cocked its featureless head to the side in a quizzical matter. “What type of abomination cries like a child?”

“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!” Azazel screamed. He placed his hands on the glass. It was cool on his skin, a striking contrast to the hot air around him. “What… Do you want?”

The void was silent for a moment before it asked, “are you able to do it? Can you bring yourself to do it?”

Azazel set his jaw as he thought over his answer. “Knowledge is power, and power is loneliness. That’s what my mother always said… Sometimes she also said knowledge was treason, but that part isn’t important. But yes, I am willing to learn what I can’t unlearn.”

“Wait,” the being protested.

Azazel reared his head back. Bracing himself for the impact that would be shattering glass against his face, only to smack his forehead against a wooden table with a loud ‘thud.’

“FUCK!” Jack screamed as he woke up.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Spencer asked as he looked at Azazel, who still had his head against the table. Azazel only hummed angrily in response as he realized he waited too long. But he was close. He could feel it.


End file.
